A Makindu law court concluded that officers were justified in the shooting death of a 17-year-old student four years ago.

 Benedict Kyule, a student at the time of the incident, was shot inside the Tsavo National Park in Makueni County.

PHOTO | COURTESY KWS Rangers Were Justified In Shooting Dead Of A Student

According to the court, Benedict Kyule caused his misfortune and untimely death inside the park. He was a KCSE exam candidate at Kiuani Secondary School in Kibwezi East at the time of the killing in 2019.

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The inquest, presided over by Makindu Senior Principal Magistrate Benson Nyaga Ireri, sought to determine if there was sufficient evidence to charge three Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) employees posted at Mtito-Andei who were on duty when the young man was gunned down.

According to the court, the killing occurred in the Komboyoo area and drew 11 witnesses, including the deceased's father and four officers, to testify in a public inquest.

PHOTO | COURTESY court

Magistrate Ireri claimed after the verdict that the dead was actually within the park, accompanied by other unknown poachers who may have escaped during a shoot-out.

The findings indicate that there were four spent cartridges from a 303 rifle, a handmade weapon reportedly used by the poachers, at the scene of the incident.

However, there was no direct link between the pistol in question and the deceased student. 

“During their patrol within the Komboyoo section, Tsavo West, the officers testified that at around 3 a.m. when wild animals frequent for water, they encountered gunshots fired in their direction. They immediately took cover, lay on the ground and started firing back to protect their own life and that of the wild animals,” the magistrate read.

“My findings are that I didn’t find any omissions or unlawfulness in the use of excessive force by the three KWS officers. It is unfortunate that the deceased caused his own misfortune and unfortunate demise inside Tsavo National Park in the wee hours of the morning,” he added.