Narok: A Narok Court has ruled that a man accused of shooting to death a youthful lawyer during a brawl at a nightclub be subjected to a mental test before he can stand trial. The accused, Paul Sena, a 53-year-old licensed gun owner, appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Phyllis Shinyada on Monday.
According to Kenya News Agency, Sena is alleged to have shot 29-year-old lawyer Nabala Mandela at close range in the cheek, killing him instantly outside Mara Junction Night Club in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police reports indicate that the altercation began as a disagreement over parking space. Sena, who was driving a Toyota Fortuner, reportedly confronted Mandela, who was in a Subaru Forester, before the confrontation escalated and ended fatally.
Senior Resident Magistrate Shinyada directed that Sena be taken to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before the trial can proceed. There was tight security observed in and around the courtroom, with additional police deployed following concerns of possible retaliation from Mandela's grieving family.
Addressing journalists outside the court, family lawyer Parseen Ole Masikonte condemned the killing and called for an expedited trial and full justice for the slain advocate. 'We are here not just to mourn a life cut short but to demand justice. Nobala Mandela was a promising legal mind, and his life was taken in a senseless act of violence. We ask the Judiciary to move with speed and ensure that the law takes its full course,' said Masikonte.
Prominent Narok advocate Kaitikei Ole Rotiken also weighed in, expressing concern over the ease of civilian access to firearms and the rising incidents of misuse of guns. 'This tragic incident underscores the urgent need to review Kenya's firearm licensing laws. A legal firearm is not a license to kill. The public must be protected from reckless gun holders,' Rotiken said.
Mandela's death has shocked the legal fraternity in Narok, drawing widespread condemnation and calls for systemic reforms. Fellow lawyers have pledged to stand by the Mandela family until justice is delivered.