I didn’t shoot the suspect - Githurai cop Katitu speaks after prison life

Policeman Titus Ngamau, alias Katitu, has just recently come out of prison after spending eight years behind bars.

The famous police officer was accused of shooting and killing Kenneth Kimani, a suspected criminal in Githurai.  

Katitu has vehemently denied killing Kimani – and has studiously maintained his innocence even after serving time.

Katitu’s much-publicised arrest after the incident in 2013 led to week-long riots in Githurai – with residents demanding his release.

The cries from members of the public fell on deaf ears – and Katitu was eventually charged in court and sentenced to jail.

According to the residents, the cop deserved flowers for combating runaway crime in the populous estate -- not arrest and public admonition.

Many took to the streets to express their support for Katitu – but even this could not save Katitu from the gripping hand of ‘the law’.

“I never shot the suspect,” says Katitu, who was a musician before joining the police.

“According to the ballistic report, the bullet that was retrieved from the body of the suspect did not come from my gun. It did not come from my gun,” says Katitu.

“I will leave this world knowing that I was falsely jailed.”

In prison, Katitu spent most of his time isolated, away from jailed criminals, some of whom he may have helped put in prison as an officer of the law.

“My movement and interaction were restricted. Prison is not a good place,” he says, adding that he was only allowed to make a 2-minute phone call every month.

“You are separated from your family. You can only be seen through the wire mesh. You don’t do what you want. You don’t eat what you want – and not even conjugal rights are permitted,” he told Citizen Digital.

Katitu spoke about the sweeping emotion that engulfed him after being released from prison.

“Prison is hell. People don’t get to appreciate the freedom they enjoy until it is taken away from them,” he says.

Watch the full video on Citizen Digital.