BY SAM ALFAN.
A police officer suspected to have shot and killed a university student in Kisumu during anti-government protests has written to her bosses seeking information surrounding the shooting.
Police Corporal Georgina Osoro who is based at Maseno Police station wants information regarding her assignment between 19th and 22rd March, 2023.
The officer said her photo has been circulated on social media since the incident, purporting she was the officer who shot dead the Maseno University student.
PC Osoro through lawyer Danstan Omari wants the IG to supply Certified Extract from the Occurrence Book Entries for the days between 19th March 2023-21st March 2023.
“We have resorted to request the aforementioned information pursuant to Article 35 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 so as to take legal action against perpetrators of the falsehoods and threats against the person of our Client and her children,” she says in the letter to Inspector-General of Police Japheth Koome.
The officer wants to supply her with Certified Extract from the Arms Movement Book for the duration between 19th March 2023-21 March 2023 and a certified copy of the List of Police Officers assigned coverage on Monday 20 March 2023 at Kisumu town.
The officer further seeks to be supplied with operation order in respect of the Kisumu town Anti-Riot Operation of the 20th March 2023 pursuant to which Police Officers from Maseno Police Station attended Kisumu town for reinforcement.
She has also instructed the lawyer to urge the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to expeditiously exercise the powers conferred to it under Article 157 (4) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 to direct the Inspector General of Police to conduct an investigation into the matter.
“By a copy of this Letter; the Independent Police Oversight Authority and the Internal Affairs Department of the National Police Service are beseeched to move with speed to investigate the occurrence and consider all the exculpatory evidence with the view of informing the entire general public that circumstantially; it was not possible for our Client to have been involved in the alleged fatal shooting incident of the 20th March 2023,” says PC Osoro.
She said she assigned duties on the fateful day of March 20, and left for Kisumu having booked out together at 0400 hrs with other colleagues who had a similar assignment.
While away on duty, in Kisumu (approximately 35 Km away from Maseno town), a shooting incident /malicious damage to property and injury to police officers was rep at 1 when police officers had an encounter of trying to disperse Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance and Maseno University Students demonstrators barricaded Mareno – Kisumu Luanda road.
“As a result of the altercation that arose and in a bid to safeguard properties, lives and in self-defence; one demonstrator was allegedly shot and pronounced dead upon arrival at Coptic Hospital, Kisumu,” says Osoro.
She further adds that on the 21st day of March, 2023; after reports of the death of the demonstrators allegedly shot came out; baseless allegations were made from various quarters of the public maliciously defaming her as the person behind the fatal trigger.
Officer Osoro adds that in a scathing prejudiced public attack, her character has been immensely attacked, veiled and express threats to her life as well as those of her children which reports she has already made.
“It has become extremely difficult for our Client to work and even to send her children to school on account of well-founded fears that they shall be harmed,” Omari said in the letter.
