Police have arrested and detained five men in connection with the death of Molo activist Richard Otieno who was killed outside his gate on January 18, 2025, a few metres from the Elburgon Police Station.
Police believe that two of the arrested men were bodaboda operators whose motorbikes were used to ferry three of the men who attacked Otieno as he drove back from Elburgon town after watching a Premier League match on that fateful night.
“DCI detectives have rounded up five suspects connected to the gruesome murder of Richard Haga Otieno that occurred on the night of January 18, 2025,” DCI said in a statement on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Repeat offenders
“The suspects are prime suspects Geoffrey Mavado, John Ndegwa and Jorim Ngonga Sura, believed to have been directly involved in the brutal killing. The other two; Clinton Simantu alias Muiruri and Peter Mwaniki alias Pinchez are bodaboda operators who have been identified as the persons who ferried the hitmen to and from the scene of crime.”
Police revealed that on November 8, 2024, two of the arrested men had been detained and charged for assaulting Otieno.
The authorities say the two were sentenced to a one-year probation; and that homicide detectives had positively placed them at the scene of the crime during the murder of the activist whose death sparked massive protests in Molo.
“Earlier on November 8, 2024, Geoffrey Mavado and John Ndegwa had been arrested and charged for assaulting the deceased and were sentenced to a one-year probation. In the course of the homicide probe, the two were forensically placed at the scene of crime, and crucial evidence has been collected to aid their prosecution,” DCI revealed.
To appear in court
Police believe they have sufficient evidence against the suspects who are set to appear in court on Monday, February 3, 2025, for charges related to the death of Otieno.
“All the suspects have been taken to custody and are being processed for arraignment. Meanwhile, the investigators drawn from the Homicide Directorate, Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau and Operations are interrogating the case further with a view to bringing any more suspects to book,” DCI added.
An autopsy conducted on Otieno revealed that the activist was slashed on the front and back of his head, leading to the massive loss of blood.
“From these findings, we can say that the late Richard (Otieno) died as a result of severe head injury which was caused by a sharp object which could either be a panga or an axe which was used severally on the head. We have taken some samples for analysis which will help us see if we can apprehend the persons who did this,” Government pathologist Johansen Oduor said.
