‘He was innocent’ – says family of Machakos teacher killed alongside gangsters

Family members and teachers of a school in Machakos County were left in shock after one of their own was killed during a shootout between police and suspected gangsters on Saturday (December 2).

24-year-old Shadrack Cheruiyot, who was a teacher at Kinyau Secondary School, was killed after three armed assailants who were on police radar, took refuge at his house in Mukuni market where they were all cornered and shot dead, after the gunmen attempted to fire at the police.

The gangsters lived in the same plot with Cheruiyot and had tried to escape after police stormed the compound.

We are informed that one of the three gangsters managed to escape, with the rest including the teacher coming under a hail of bullets that felled them.

Saddened family members and teachers at Kinyau Secondary School, said the late Cheruiyot, who was second-born among four siblings was not a thug, describing him as a hardworking teacher.

Jacob Korir, a relative, said the deceased was not a thug, accusing police of having killed an innocent person.

“We came from Nakuru to visit the scene and see where an innocent life was lost. Taking away an innocent life is unacceptable and police agencies are not giving the right information. Now that Shedrack wasn’t a criminal, police should come out and clear the air to the public,” said Nick Sabula a family member.

According to Sabula, Cheruiyot was an orphan who had cleared university and was a breadwinner for his siblings.

Amid tears, Cheruiyot’s sister said: “There is no way he (Cheruiyot) could be a criminal… Only God knows and only He will surely bring justice for my brother.”

The school principal, Joyce Muia, termed Cheruiyot’s death as a loss to the Kinyau Secondary School fraternity where the deceased was posted last year when he was employed by Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

According to the Ms Muai, the school, which has a population of around 300 students, is now left with three government-employed teachers.

Other teachers from the school described the late Cheruiyot as hard working and very talented adding that it came as a shock to hear that their colleague’s neighbours were suspected thugs.

The family and teachers are now demanding justice even as they ask police to be more careful when handling criminals to avoid taking away innocent lives.

According to a police source, investigations are underway to ascertain whether Cheruiyot was shot by police or gangsters since he died in the crossfire.

Three other suspected gangsters were also killed on Saturday in Kathaani market in Machakos bringing the number of deaths to six.

According to Kangundo OCPD  Samuel Ampiu, the suspected robbers were shot dead by officers from the flying squad unit who were trailing the group that was in a hired car before a shooting occurred.