New details have emerged followed the arrest of a police officer for allegedly shooting a guard at the Red Square hotel in Nairobi’s Kayole area.
The report filed at the Kayole police station has brought out details surrounding the shooting that had not been made public.
According to the report, the police officer allegedly shot the guard after he woke him up from sleep. He officer is said to have fallen asleep on the sofa – at the hotel’s lobby area.
A Mr. Kioko who works at the hotel is said to have made a report at the station on 13/05/2021 at around 3:30am of the alleged shooting incident.
“The Duty Officer and the DCI team rushed to the scene and on arrival they established that a known guest had been dropped in the hotel at around 2am by his friend known by the staff as Kivuva, a police officer who asked them to offer the guest accommodation. Kivuva is said to have left immediately. The guest entered a lounge area and sat on a sofa.
“When asked whether he could be assisted to check in, he refused. He immediately took a nap and when he woke up, he asked the hotel staff the whereabouts of his motor vehicle. The staff told him that he did not come with his car because he had been dropped by his friend. He became violent and demanded for his motor vehicle.
“He then removed his firearm and threatened to shoot at anyone. The staff tried to calm him down but he even tried to cock his firearm and pushed them out through the rear grill door. Sensing danger, the staff retreated back and closed the door from inside and hid themselves in the hotel rooms. Immediately after, they heard gunshots rent the air. That is when they called for police assistance.
“On assessment, about 40m from the hotel lay a body of a security guard namely Lapaja Topiwo, a Maasai male adult in his mid-twenties with two gunshot wounds one on the lower right rib and the other on the left chest breast. A bullet hole was also noted at the rear door grill with its head lodged. On searching the scene, a recovery of two spent cartridges of 9 mm was made. It was later learnt that the said guest is one Mr Simon Mwongela, SSP and SCCIO Embakasi,” noted the report.
“He was then disarmed and his Jericho pistol s/no 44333683 and a magazine loaded with 11 rounds of 9 mm ammunition was kept in armory as exhibit. The scene was later visited by Sub county police Kayole, DIV Crime Kayole, D/Sub county Police Kayole and Stapol Kayole. CSI Kayole processed the scene and the body removed to city morgue awaiting autopsy. The suspect was placed in custody,” read the report.