Two police officers have been convicted of murdering Dennis Lusava, who died after being violently tortured while in custody at Mbururu Police Post in Kakamega County.

The High Court found that Constables Emmanuel Wafula Vyambaka and Godwine Wekesa Sirengo were directly responsible for the killing, and later dumping Lusava’s body in River Nzoia.

In a detailed ruling, Justice Reuben Nyakundi said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence presented, including forensic results and eyewitness accounts, clearly linked the officers to the crime.

Led by State Counsel Sidi Kirenge, the prosecution called 21 witnesses and submitted 27 exhibits.

Among the most damning was DNA analysis that matched Lusava’s genetic material to blood traces found in a hired car used in the disposal of his body.

The court heard that Lusava was arrested on October 4, 2022, and taken to Mbururu Police Post, where multiple witnesses saw him with visible injuries.

One person testified to hearing him plead for mercy, while another saw him tied up inside the station. The judge noted that the officers did not present any proof of self-defense during the trial.

On October 7, when Lusava’s mother returned to the station to bail him out, she was falsely told that he had already been released. A few days later, his body was discovered in River Nzoia and identified by relatives.

Justice Nyakundi found that the killing was planned. The officers had used an acquaintance to lure Lusava back to the station, where he was tortured using electric cables, kicks, and punches. Even after his mother offered a bond of Sh2,000, police declined to let him go.

The court was also told that when Lusava later tried to get medical help, he was taken back to the police post where he cried out in pain before falling silent. A doctor who attended to him during the ordeal recounted hearing his screams from a nearby room.

Evidence showed that the officers drove his body to Webuye and dumped it in the river. They then made false entries in the Occurrence Book claiming he had been released. A postmortem confirmed that Lusava died from multiple injuries and circulatory failure.

In his final remarks, Justice Nyakundi ruled that the killing was done with full intent and planning, making it a deliberate act of murder.