A court in Mandera County has convicted a police officer over a violent incident that left one victim seriously injured, in a case seen as a test of accountability within law enforcement agencies.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed that Abdihakim Abdi Saman, an officer attached to the Mandera Border Police Post, was found guilty of grievous harm and assault by the Mandera Magistrates Court.
According to court proceedings, the incident occurred on May 11, 2024, at Mandera Police Station. Saman was convicted of unlawfully inflicting grievous harm on Dahaba Noor Hillow and assaulting Ali Abdirahman Maalim during the same altercation.
The case was investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), whose probe led to the officer’s arraignment.
Prosecutors Patrick Namiti, Lee Kadenyo, and Mr. Kasyoka presented testimony from 12 witnesses, which the court ruled firmly placed the accused at the scene. The defence called six witnesses, but their evidence failed to dislodge the prosecution’s case.
In a judgment delivered on February 20, 2026, Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. Omondi ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court also dismissed the accused’s alibi defence, terming it unsubstantiated.