By SHABAN MAKOKHA
October 1, 2026| The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Lumakanda Police Station, Wycliffe Kwendo, is today (Thursday) expected in court for the hearing of his bond application after being charged with the alleged defilement of a 14-year-old girl in Kakamega County.
Kwendo appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Dorcas Mac’andere on Wednesday, placing a serving police boss at the centre of a serious sexual offences investigation. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) formally presented charges against him over alleged offences said to have occurred between September 24 and 27, 2026, in Lumakanda.
The accused faces a principal charge of defilement contrary to Section 8(1) as read with Section 8(3) of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006. He also faces an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a child contrary to Section 11(1) of the Act, and a further charge of abuse of a position of authority contrary to Section 24(2) of the Sexual Offences Act.
As the accused sought his freedom pending trial, DPP counsels Ian Makotsi and Prudence Lelei moved to block his release, strongly opposing his application for bail and bond. The prosecution urged the court to consider the seriousness of the allegations before determining whether he should be released.
The accused was subsequently remanded until October 1, 2026, pending determination of the bond terms. The matter returns to court today for that ruling.
The case puts the conduct of a serving police station commander under judicial scrutiny, with the prosecution seeking to have the court consider its objections before granting bond.
The allegations have not been tested in a full trial, and the accused remains presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty by a court of law.