A team of homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters has taken charge of the probe into the murder it Molo based activist Richard Otieno.
This follows tension and suspicion surrounding the murder of Otieno in Elburgon, Molo at the weekend.
Led by Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto, the team first visited the scene of the crime where Otieno was clobbered to death by unknown assailants.
Otieno was killed outside his gate after he had watched a match at a local bar, police and locals said.
The detectives later held a meeting with the family where they assured them of thorough investigations to bring to book the killers.
The family lawyer Roselinda Wamaitha said the team had assured the public that justice will be done and investigations will go on.
The detectives are expected to probe the circumstances under which Otieno was murdered, the threats he received and also pursue the three unknown persons who had allegedly trailed him home on Thursday last week before he was killed on Saturday January 18.
The deceased’s widow Margaret Mwihaki said there were three people who were trailing him before they clobbered him to death.
Also key in investigations will be the postmortem exercise expected to be conducted in the course of the week.
“We are also informed that the government pathologist very soon will be on the way to make sure postmortem is conducted…we are happy,” said the lawyer.
The body was taken to the Kericho County Referral Hospital morgue after it was recovered from a thicket near the Molo River in Turi on Sunday night.
An irate mob earlier in the day on Sunday stormed the Elburgon morgue where the body was initially preserved after being found at the gate of Elburgon police station.
The crowd forcefully took the body and headed towards Molo in protest while condemning the mysterious murder.
They barricaded the Molo-Elburgon-Nakuru road with stones and lit bonfires as they marched towards the home of Molo MP Kuria Kimani, but police barricaded the road towards the MP’s home.
Molo sub-county Police Commander Timon Odingo on Monday said the body was later found with the help of sniffer dogs.
He said the officers probing the matter ferried it to the neighbouring Kericho County to impede any effort to access it by the public.
Otieno has been a vocal critic of both the national government and the constituency’s leadership led by MP Kimani.
His activism included participation in last year’s youth-led protests in Molo, where he was arrested for leading the demos.
Among those who have condemned his murder is former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who described it as part of a “pathetic and archaic strategy to silence government critics” amid a growing climate of fear.
Locals have meanwhile vowed to demonstrate until culprits are brought to book.
There was heavy police presence in Molo on Tuesday following fears of more protests.
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