Safaricom VIP protection police officer charged with murder after fatal bar shooting
The deceased had been watching football and drinking at the establishment alongside his brother, Erick Ngolania Wambua, who is also a police officer stationed at the General Service Unit (GSU) headquarters.
A night out at a Ruaraka bar ended in tragedy when a police officer was fatally shot, leading to the arraignment of a VIP protection officer on murder charges.
Ezekiel Kipkoech Tarus, a police officer assigned to the VIP protection detail of Safaricom CEO, appeared before Justice James Wakiaga at the Milimani Court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with the murder of Raphael Kimuli Wambua, a police officer attached to the Central Bank of Kenya.
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According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on the night of February 23, 2025, at Wasafi Bar.
The deceased had been watching football and drinking at the establishment alongside his brother, Erick Ngolania Wambua, who is also a police officer stationed at the General Service Unit (GSU) headquarters.
“As they were leaving the bar at around 1.20 am, they were confronted by the accused, who then shot Raphael Kimuli using his Jericho pistol, serial number 44338440,” the prosecution told the court.
Following the shooting, an enraged mob attacked Tarus before officers from Ruaraka Police Station intervened and rushed him to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
Represented by lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, Tarus applied for bail, arguing that there were no compelling reasons to justify his detention. His defense assured the court that he would comply with all directives issued.
The prosecution had initially sought to have Tarus detained for 14 days to allow for further investigations. However, after reviewing the case, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that he be charged with murder.
Tarus pleaded not guilty before Justice Wakiaga and was granted a cash bail of Sh500,000 with a surety of the same amount.
The court further instructed that he should not contact any witnesses and must report to the investigating officer every Thursday until the case is concluded.
The hearing is set to commence on May 20, 2025.
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