Eastleigh-based crime buster Ahmed Rashid on Thursday assured the court that he was not on the run from the murder case he is facing.

This is after Rashid joined the virtual court from Garissa county and not Nairobi as the prosecution expected.

When asked why he was in Garissa and not Nairobi, Rashid told Justice Kanyi Kimondo that he went to deal with a family issue and was not on the run.

The matter was coming up in court for plea taking after it was adjourned in December when the court was told that Rashid was admitted in hospital.

State counsel Wangui Gichuhi said they were ready to take plea but Rashid had not undergone mental assessment as is required by law.

She also said that the suspect was in Garissa, which was far from Nairobi and he was not in a police station.

Justice Kimondo then ordered Rashid to surrender himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers Garissa Township before the end of Thursday.

He shall then be escorted to Nairobi to take a psychiatric examination. However, the court warned him that in default of doing that a warrant of arrest shall be issued.

“For the avoidance doubt if the suspect voluntarily surrenders himself as ordered above, and proceeds for the psychiatric examination as ordered, the police will be at liberty to release him on bond on terms to be determined by officer commanding station,” the judge ruled.

However, the judge said Rashid shall be at the hands of the police at the time of plea which will also be taken virtually on February 9. 

The court has also discharged his lawyer Danstan Omari from the undertaking he made to bring him to court only if he will comply with all the court orders.

The Director of Public Prosecutions approved murder charges against Rashid in November last year for the extra-judicial killing of Jamal Mohamed and Mohamed Khari who were shot in Eastleigh on March 31, 2017. 

This is after Independent Policing Oversight Authority concluded its investigations into their murder and they recommended the prosecution of Rashid.

Eastleigh has been facing different types of crimes including the one of stabbing by a gang that consisted mostly of youth who had been deported from other parts of the world.

This forced the local community to ask for deployment of Rashid and his squad, which was popularly known as 'Pangani Six' to contain the trend.

In 2017, it is alleged that Rashid was caught on camera shooting at two unarmed men in Eastleigh. The video that went viral on social media showed a plainclothes officer shooting at the two as a shocked crowd watched on.