BARINGO, Kenya, Apr, 6 – A police officer in Bartabwa, Baringo county has been arrested, after stabbing to death a bar owner following a disagreement over a Sh450 alcohol bill.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at Kipsaraman trading center, at a popular bar identified as Three Ways.
According to witnesses, the police officer identified as administration Police (AP) officer Victor Ruto, 32, who was in the company of three other colleagues had arrived at the bar a few hours before the curfew deadline and had ordered several rounds of beer before the fatal incident.
“I was there when it all happened. He had initially ordered alcohol worth Sh300 and paid for it. Minutes later he ordered another round of alcohol and when it came to paying he started shouting and assaulted the bar owner,” a witness who sought anonymity told Shahidi News.
Minutes after the altercation occurred, the drunk police officer, is according to reports said to have hit the bar owner,Reuben Cherutich 43, to the ground and then proceeded to remove a knife from his pocket. He stabbed him on the neck.
“I tried to save his life but he was bleeding profusely, there was nothing anyone could have done,” another witness who equally did not want to be named said.
Baringo police commander Robison Ndiwa told Shahidi News that the bar owner died while being rushed to hospital.
He said the accused officer fled alongside his colleagues shortly after committing the heinous act.
“We have established that he refused to pay the Sh450 bill and instead turned violent and stabbed the victim to death. Such cases are now becoming common in this area almost every week we receive calls of people killing each other ,”Said Ndiwa.
The officer was arrested on Tuesday and is being detained at the Kabartonjo police station.
Two other officers that were with the accused during the time of the incident have since gone into hiding.
“We need to seek better ways of addressing some of the disagreements that we might have. Killing is not the solution when they can easily be resolved peacefully,” the police boss said.
Following the incident police have now directed that all bars be closed at 8PM.
The police officer according to residents had become infamous in the area with several reports filed against him for threatening and assaulting innocent civilians.
The body of the deceased is being preserved at the Baringo County Referral hospital Mortuary.
A manhunt has been launched for the two fleeing officers.
A similar incident occurred early this year in Turkana and like this one, an Adminstration Police officer was involved.
The AP officer, who has since been charged in Court with murder, shot dead a teacher over a Sh550 beer debt at Kakong trading centre in Kainuk, Turkana South Sub-County.
Constable Wilfred Kibichiy Too had a fight with the deceased, Susan Nasiru Emure 34, who was the owner of the club and a teacher at Kaptir Secondary school.
The officer was hit with a stone and he rushed to the station and picked a G3 rifle.
He then proceeded to the house of the woman and shot her three times on the head before proceeding back to the police post.
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