TWO Officers Convicted of Murdering 21-Year-Old Man In A Kakamega Police Station
High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi decided that the prosecution had shown beyond a reasonable doubt that Constables Emmanuel Wafula and Godwine Wekesa were responsible for the death of the 21-year-old teenager at Mbururu Police Station in Likuyani, Kakamega County.
In a landmark decision handed down in Eldoret on Friday, Justice Nyakundi stated that the case was a watershed moment in addressing custodial deaths and rogue policing methods.
Police constables Emmanuel Barasa and Godwine Wekesa were convicted of murder after a five-year judicial battle.
The lawsuit centred on the violent murder of Lusava inside a police cell.
According to court documents, Lusava first clashed with the officers in 2020, after being arrested for not wearing a face mask in public.
Members of the public intervened and saved him.
Police Officers Convicted of Murder:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 4, 2025
Two officers found guilty of Denis Lusava’s murder. Emmanuel Wafula and Godwine Wekesa convicted in Eldoret. Duo held responsible for Lusava’s death at Mbururu Police Station#CitizenFridayNight @lillian_muli pic.twitter.com/Xt9fRJ9RFg
However, days later, the cops reportedly tracked down Lusava, arrested him again, and imprisoned him at the Mbururu Police Station.
He was allegedly chained to a window and abused with kicks, strikes, and electric cables while in police custody.
Justice Nyakundi stated that Lusava suffered serious injuries and died at the station.
The court heard that the officers then carried his body and deposited it into the flowing waters of the River Nzoia in an attempt to conceal the crime.
“The murder was committed with malice aforethought, and there was transactional evidence linking the two officers to a common intention in the conspiracy,” said Justice Reuben Nyakundi.
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He also canceled the bond previously given to Wafula and Wekesa.
Lawyers from the International Justice Mission (IJM), who represented Lusava’s family, welcomed the ruling.
They called it a significant milestone in holding rogue officers accountable for custodial deaths and subsequent cover-ups.
“This is a big step forward for justice in police accountability,” said an IJM lawyer.
The two convicted officers will remain in remand at Eldoret GK Prison as they await sentencing on Wednesday, July 9.
TWO Officers Convicted of Murdering 21-Year-Old Man In A Kakamega Police Station
