DETAINED SSU OFFICERS TO RESIST FORCEFUL DNA TESTING

DETAINED SSU OFFICERS TO RESIST FORCEFUL DNA TESTING

By Chris Ojow

Any attempt to drag the nine special

service unit officers at gun point to go

for DNA without the presence of their

lawyers will be met with force.

The nine officers has vowed not to move

to any hospital unless they are going to

the National Forensic Laboratory at DCI

Headquarters as directed by Court.

Lawyers representing the nine officers

through letters addressed to Kahawa

Court , have informed the court that

it’s orders were breached .

The nine officers through their lawyers

Danstan Omari and Wicliff Omaiyo are

worried that forceful testing and

extraction of their blood without the

presence of their pathologists and

lawyers might lead to planting of

evidence at the scene of crime to

implicate them with the murder and yet

they are innocent.

Article 50 and 49 of the Constitution of

Kenya States that the accused are

innocent before proven guilty, have a

right to be released on bond, the

rights of the accused must be adhered to

and must go through a fair trial.

The Chief Magistrate Diana Kavedza while

delivering a ruling ordered that the

nine officers be taken to National

Forensic Laboratory for DNA testing and

analysis of the blood on exhibits in the

custody of investigators.

The court added that for safeness of

the process, they be accompanied by

their own pathologists of their choice

during the extraction of and testing of

DNA samples at their own cost.

The order was delivered on 15th of

November and the respondents are to

appear before Magistrate on 01st of

December 2022 to inform the court that

they have complied with the directives.

The nine officers through their lawyer

insisted that they are innocent and were

framed claiming that they are victims

of political witch hunt.

The nine Special Service Unit offers

Joseph Mwenda Mwaya , David Chepchong

kipsoi, Stephen Luseno Matunda, Poul

Njogu Muriithi , Simon Muhuga Gikonyo,

Peter Muthee Gachiku, Francis Muendo

Ndonye, John Mwangi Kamau and Joseph

Kamau Mbugua will appear before Kahawa

Chief Magistrate.