SIAYA: A 25-year-old suspect in the murder of Wells Fargo Human Resources Manager, Willys Ayieko, will be remanded in police custody for 21 days to allow the police to complete investigations, a Siaya court has ruled.
According to Kenya News Agency, Victor Okoth Ouma, who was arrested at Dandora Estate in Nairobi, will be detained at the Railways Police Station in Kisumu after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, through State Counsel Evans Soita, made a miscellaneous application to hold him in police custody. Soita had initially applied for 30 days, but Siaya Magistrate Jacob Mkala ruled for a 21-day detention, with the case set to be mentioned on 21st November, 2024.
The development follows the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ confirmation of recovering Ayieko’s firearm and the arrest of a second suspect, a woman, who was with a man who escaped during an exchange of fire in Wagai, Gem Constituency. State Counsel Evans Soita emphasized the need for additional time to gather evidence and pursu
e the suspect’s accomplices. He highlighted the necessity of Ouma’s detention for security reasons, noting that the suspect is also facing a pending robbery with violence case in a Siaya court, with ongoing investigations into other offences reported at Ugunja and Yala police stations.
Furthermore, Soita requested court orders to compel Airtel Kenya to provide call logs and other details of the suspect’s cell phone line to assist the investigation. Investigation Officer, Inspector Oliver Nabonwa, informed the court that Ouma was apprehended at his hideout in Nairobi’s Dandora Estate and was linked to the crime scene through forensic analysis by a multi-agency task force involving the DCI, police, and homicide detectives’ unit.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mkala stated that while bail is a right, it is not absolute. “Based on the submissions of the State Counsel and the investigating officer, Inspector Oliver Nabonwa, the respondent shall be held at the Railways Police station in Kisumu for a period of 21 days
to enable the police to conduct their investigations,” ruled Mkala. He also ordered Airtel Kenya to provide investigators with call logs and subscriber information related to the suspect’s cell phone, and that a mobile phone, make Redmi Note, be subjected to forensic examination.