Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Attacking Police Officer

A 24-year-old man, Tyson Kasesi, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of assaulting a police officer on duty.

The incident occurred in May this year in Kakamega County, where Kasesi assaulted the officer by hitting and abusing him.

Kasesi’s actions were found to be in violation of section 103(a) of the National Police Service Act.

“The main suspect, Tyson Kasesi, is reported to have assaulted a police officer in May 2024. The officer sustained injuries while on duty, necessitating medical attention as documented in the P3 form presented in court,” stated the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Initially, Kasesi refused to respond to the charges on two separate occasions. However, he eventually pleaded guilty to all four charges before Kakamega Chief Magistrate J.J. Masiga.

Prosecutor Moraa Atandi urged the court to impose a short-term sentence in line with legal regulations.

In delivering the sentence, the magistrate emphasized that assaults on police officers are becoming increasingly common in the country. A prison sentence was deemed the most suitable deterrent to discourage such offenses, according to the ODPP.

This ruling comes just two days after a 19-year-old, Ian Njoroge, was arrested for assaulting and injuring a traffic police officer in Mirema.

Njoroge was apprehended at his parents’ home in Jacaranda, Kayole, Nairobi, on Sunday evening in an operation led by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi.

He was charged with robbery with violence, assault causing grievous bodily harm, and resisting arrest.

Appearing before Magistrate BenMark at the Milimani court, Njoroge’s lawyers, Duncan Okatch and Vincent Lempaa, claimed that he was mistreated during his arrest.

A video played in court showed Njoroge being interrogated, which the prosecution argued was evidence of his mistreatment due to the officers’ insults. Njoroge denied all charges.

The court granted the prosecution one day to detain Njoroge at Industrial Area Prison.