A police officer charged with the murder of a student at Leeds University has been released on cash bail.
High Court judge Jessie Lesiit released Corporal Emmanuel Ambunya on a cash bail of Sh 600,000. Alternatively, the accused can pay a bond of Sh 1 million to secure his freedom.
The judge also ordered the accused not to visit Kibera area and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Officer Ambunya who is attached to Kenyatta National Hospital police post pleaded not guilty to the offense of murder.
His lawyer Cliff Ombeta told the court that his client is not flight risk since he is still serving in National Police Service, a discipline institution.
“The accused is an officer of the law and therefore understands what is expected of him. He cannot abscond,” Ombeta told the court.
He further submitted that investigations have taken two years whereby the accused has never interfered with the witnesses, family or investigation.
“He has always been cooperative as and when called for to shed light in matter,” Lawyer Ombeta added.
The court heard that with the current lock down the officer cannot leave the Nairobi jurisdiction, therefore he cannot even go anywhere.
The family lawyer had objected the application for bail on grounds that the accused is an officer with connections and capable of influencing the investigations and threaten the witnesses. Should not be granted bail.
The officer is accused of murdering Carlton David Maina 23, on 22nd December 2018 at Laini Saba, in Kibra, Nairobi.
According to the prosecution, Ambunya was arrested on 20th April 2020 by detective from DCI office, Kilimani, Nairobi and now charged after an inquest into the death of the student where the court found that the officer was liable.
The student was shot dead while returning home from watching a football match from a movie shop.
Maina was shot dead by the police who claimed he was among a group of thugs that was terrorising residents of Line Saba yet he was returning home from movie shop where he was watching football.
The residents strongly refuted the police account of events saying it was a classic case of extra-judicial killing which prompted IPOA to launch investigations.
