One of Kenya’s most feared police officers Stephen Lelei is dead.
Lelei is reported to have died on Saturday, June 15 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kiambu.
The former Mlolongo OCS is regarded as a Westgate attack hero and was recognised for rescuing terror attack victims.
His life took a dramatic turn when he was linked to murder in lawyer Willie Kimani’s case.
Lelei was charged with the murder of the human rights lawyer and two others alongside his colleague Fredrick Leliman.
He was in charge of the Mlolongo police station in 2016 when Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri were murdered and their bodies dumped in the Oldonyo Sabuk River.
The High Court would later sentence Leliman to death for killing Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri.
In her ruling, Jessie Lesiit said Sergeant Leliman engineered the gruesome murders.
Other police officers Sylvia Wanjiku and Stephen Cheburet were respectively sentenced to 24 and 30 years in prison for their involvement in the killings.
A decorated officer, Lelei was among nine police officers who were honoured by the government for their heroic acts during the Westgate attack in 2013 that led to his promotion to OCS.
WoK previously covered the story of Sampson Kipchirchir Kipruto aged 55 who shot and killed Makadara Law Courts Magistrate Monica Kivuti.
Kipruto was the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) in Londiani.
During the shooting incident, three police officers and a civilian were injured and rushed to hospital.
Kipruto was killed by fellow officers after shooting the Magistrate.