Seventeen suspects who had been arrested in connection with the murder of a police officer during an illicit brew crackdown in the Rarieda sub-county last month will take a plea on April 30, 2024.

Appearing before Siaya High Court Judge Justice Daniel Odembo on Wednesday, the suspects failed to make a plea for the second time because they had yet to undergo a mental assessment.

Justice Odembo directed that the suspects be released on a personal bond of Kes 200,000 and a surety of a similar amount each, pending the mental assessment that has not occurred because of the ongoing doctors’ strike.

 Additionally, Odembo directed that each suspect report daily to the Aram Police station until the day of the plea hearing.

The suspects had been accused of attacking and killing a senior police officer and seriously injuring another one at Oyude market in the Rarieda sub-county on March 13, 2024.

The late Simon Mwangi Kariuki and another officer were in an illicit brew crackdown exercise within Oyude shopping center when they were attacked by an angry mob that stoned Mwangi to death.