On Thursday afternoon, detectives in Kisumu fatally shot another individual connected to the murder of Willis Ayieko, the HR manager of Wells Fargo, and seized a firearm in the process.
Nyanza Regional Police Chief Patrick Tito reported that the suspect had been evading capture from Gem, Siaya, and had registered at a hotel close to Kisumu Polytechnic the previous night.
During the encounter, the suspect attempted to fire at the officers, leading to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in his death.
“The team was tracking him down and managed to get him in a guest house he had checked in. He resisted to open and opened fire prompting the team to respond fatally,” said Tito.
Authorities reported the recovery of a pistol from a suspect involved in a recent incident that occurred around midday on Thursday, October 31.
This event has now resulted in the deaths of two suspects linked to the ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement officials are actively searching for at least two additional suspects in connection with the murder of Ayieko.
Another suspect, who sustained injuries during a shootout in Gem, passed away in the hospital on Wednesday morning.
This individual had been transported to a medical facility in Yala, Siaya County, where she succumbed to injuries incurred during a police engagement in Wangai, Gem.
According to police reports, she was one of two female suspects apprehended earlier that morning following a dramatic pursuit.
In Siaya’s Gem Wagai sub-county, police recovered a pistol that belonged to Ayieko, which had been stolen from him on the night of his murder.
The recovery was facilitated by a tip-off from the public, who reported seeing two individuals—one male and one female—armed and traveling in a Toyota Axio at Wagai Trading Centre.
In response, officers from Wagai Police Station attempted to stop the suspect’s vehicle; however, the male driver ignored their commands and opened fire while fleeing towards Luanda.
This initiated a high-speed chase that concluded at Adder Farm in the Kagilo area, where the vehicle lost control and overturned on its left side.
The driver managed to escape, leaving the injured and unconscious female passenger behind. It was later reported that the driver was killed in Kisumu on Thursday.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, police discovered a pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition, which was confirmed to be the firearm stolen from Ayieko.
The woman was transported to a hospital in Yala, but unfortunately, she passed away from her injuries a few hours later, according to police reports.
An intensified search for the fleeing suspect led detectives from Gem Yala to his rented residence at Sagam Trading Centre in Kanyibwop village, where they recovered various items, including a jungle green sweater, military-style shorts, two pairs of desert storm jungle boots, two television sets (40″ and 32″), an HP laptop, and a Rolex watch, among other belongings.
Detectives are currently investigating at least six individuals in connection with the murder of Ayieko.
To date, three suspects have been apprehended, one of whom has been identified as being present at the scene of the crime.
One of the arrested individuals, a woman, later died in the hospital following a gunfight, while another suspect was killed in Kisumu.
Mohamed Amin, the Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, stated that they are focusing on a gang consisting of six to seven members.
He noted that the motive for the murder remains unclear, indicating that those arrested thus far may not have been directly involved in Ayieko’s murder but do have indirect connections to the case.
Police are continuing to interrogate them for further information.
“We are targeting at a gang of six to seven people and we are zeroing in on them,” he said.
Detectives are currently pursuing additional known suspects linked to the abduction, violent robbery, and murder of Ayieko.
Among the three individuals in custody is Victor Okoth Ouma, who was apprehended in the Dandora estate of Nairobi and subsequently presented at the Siaya Law Courts on Wednesday.
Authorities have been granted a 21-day detention period for the suspect as part of their investigation.
According to police reports, forensic analysis has placed Ouma at the crime scene.
Furthermore, he is alleged to have conducted transactions using Ayieko’s mobile phone, including withdrawing funds from his account.
Following Ouma’s arrest on Monday night, law enforcement set up an ambush that resulted in the dramatic capture of two women believed to be accomplices.
An autopsy conducted on Ayieko revealed that he succumbed to injuries sustained from blunt force trauma to the head.
The victim had been reported missing after attending a burial in Siaya, with his body later found in a river straddling the border of Siaya and Kakamega counties.
Ayieko’s remains were located in the Mungowere stream in Yala, Siaya County, on October 23 at 2 PM, after his family reported him missing on October 21.
The perpetrators subsequently drove his vehicle to the Sabatia area in Kakamega, a few kilometers away, where they abandoned it on the roadside.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@NairobiNews.co.ke