A boda boda operator arrested in connection with the murder of the late Wells Fargo manager, Willis Ayieko, will be held in custody for 30 days, a Siaya court has ruled.
Siaya Chief Magistrate Margaret Wambani ordered that Charles Otieno Odhiambo, who was arrested by the police in Kisumu, be held by the police to assist with investigations into the murder of the late human resources manager.
The 21-year-old suspect had been arraigned before her when the prosecution, led by Evans Soita, made a miscellaneous application to have him detained for 30 days at the Kisumu Railways Police Station.
Soita told the court that a multi-agency team was actively engaged in piecing together evidence, and holding the suspect would help them tie up loose ends, in addition to ensuring his (Odhiambo’s) safety.
Chief Magistrate Wambani granted the prosecution’s request and further ordered that Odhiambo undergo a mental health assessment.
Odhiambo becomes the third suspect to be remanded at the Kisumu Railways Police Station in connection with the murder.
Two other suspects have since died. A prime suspect, Robert Wakolo, died during a shootout with the police, who had stormed his hideout in Kisumu.
A woman, who was in a vehicle driven by Wakolo before they were confronted by detectives in Wagai, died while receiving treatment at Yala Sub-County Hospital after the vehicle overturned as they tried to escape from an earlier shootout with the police.
The late Ayieko went missing on 18 October 2024, only for his body to be discovered four days later at Mungoware Stream, which forms the border between Siaya and Kisumu counties.
He had earlier attended a funeral vigil in Gem.
His family, led by his elder brother, Aggrey Onyango, has since expressed satisfaction with the government’s efforts to bring his killers to justice.
Ayieko’s burial is scheduled for this weekend in Central Alego location.
– By Philip Onyango, KNA
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