‘Our eyes met before he turned gun on self’: Sister of killed Likoni woman recounts moment Dep. OCS went berserk

Likoni Deputy OCS Joab Omondi went berserk and embarked on a shooting spree which left him and a 28-year-old woman, Penina Kaimenyi, dead Thursday night.

The incident happened at Lovely Bar in Soko Mjinga area of Mtongwe in Likoni, Mombasa County. Penina operated a mogoka [miraa] shop just outside the bar.

According to Penina’s sister Violet Kanana, Omondi arrived at the nightspot while looking stressed.

“I was seated with my sister [at her shop, which is located] at the entrance of the bar, when Joab arrived and went straight into the entertainment joint. He did not say a word to us during his arrival. While inside the bar, we heard him shout: ‘Turn off the music system!” said Kanana.

Penina’s male cousin says she [Penina] thereafter got into the bar to find out what the problem was.

“She approached and asked the deputy OCS if he was okay,” said the deceased’s cousin.

It was then that the cop went berserk and started shooting randomly into the air.

Penina’s sister, Kanana, says she is lucky to have survived the police officer’s moment of insanity.

“He aimed the gun at me and fired a bullet, but I managed to miraculously dodge it. I, thereafter, hid in Penina’s stall. When Penina was attempting to get into the stall, he shot her in the head.

“I screamed and started running away. He looked at me. Our eyes met before he turned the gun on himself and fatally fired a bullet into his head,” said Kanana.

Likoni OCPD Benjamin Rotich confirmed the incident, saying Penina and Omondi weren’t in a romantic relationship as has been reported by a section of the media.

“We have recovered the firearm he used in the murder-suicide. He was a man, whose mental health wasn’t questionable. The killings weren’t triggered by love gone sour because based on the little information we have, Penina wasn’t his lover. Penina was a mogoka vendor and they hadn’t known each other before,” said Rotich.

Bodies of the deceased were taken to the Coast General Hospital mortuary