This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
On November 6th, 2010, a tragic event shook Siakago town in Embu County, Kenya. Constable Peter Karanja, a 46-year-old Administration Police officer, went on a shooting spree, killing 10 people in a single night.
On Thursday, Embu High Court Justice Florence Muchemi brought an end to the nearly decade-long trial, handing Karanja a 20-year prison sentence for each of the 10 counts of murder. However, the terms will run concurrently.
According to reports, Karanja was on night duty at the District Commissioner's residence when he left to allegedly look for his estranged girlfriend. He claimed he was going to relieve himself, but instead, he stormed several bars in Siakago, demanding to know the whereabouts of his girlfriend.
As the night unfolded, Karanja embarked on a violent rampage, gunning down 10 people before running out of bullets and surrendering to police officers. The victims included Anthony Mwaniki, Frida Ng'endo, Kenwin Muthomi, Agostino Kinyua, George Ng'ang'a, Domisiano Muchira, Ephantus Munyi, Rachel Muthoni, and fellow AP officers Wilfred Gitonga and Fredrick Okwako.
Karanja has 14 days to appeal the sentence, which has brought closure to the families of the victims after nearly a decade of waiting for justice.
