Two Police Officers Sentenced to 35 Years for Torturing Man to Death Over Face Mask Violation
Two police officers have been sentenced to 35 years in prison for torturing a 31-year-old man to death five years ago for allegedly failing to wear a face mask. The verdict was delivered on Monday by the Eldoret High Court.
Presiding Judge Reuben Nyakundi ruled that Emmanuel Wafula, 38, and Godfrey Sirengo, 35, were fully capable of safeguarding the life of the deceased but instead chose to act with brutality. The court heard that after killing the victim, the former officers placed his body in a gunny bag and dumped it in River Nzoia, near the Bungoma-Kakamega county border.
Justice Nyakundi stated that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the two ex-officers were responsible for the murder of Lusava.
Led by Sidi Kirengo, the prosecution presented 21 key witnesses during the trial, including the victim’s parents, Safani Malongo and Agnes Ambale. Over the course of the five-year trial, 27 exhibits were also tabled as evidence against the accused.
Earlier, the convicts had appealed for a non-custodial sentence, a request the Judge firmly rejected. The two were accused of killing a father of two children, aged 9 and 14, while in police custody.
According to court findings, the officers arrested the victim at Mbururu Police Post in Likuyani Sub-County, Kakamega County, on October 7, 2020. He was handcuffed, detained in a cell, and then tortured to death.
Dismissing their defense, the Judge noted that the officers—entrusted with protecting civilian lives and property—had no justification for their actions, which ultimately led to the loss of an innocent life.
