A prime suspect linked to the horrific arson attack that killed nine family members on Tuesday night in Sigomere, Ugunja Sub County, Siaya County was arrested in Nairobi.
Christopher Okello Owino was arrested in Kibera slums as he had his supper with his children on Thursday night.
Owino is said to have hosted church members at his Kibera home on Wednesday evening for prayers after his rural house was torched by irate villagers in an apparent retaliation attack, police said.
He was set to be transferred back to Ugunja, where the crime occurred.
A Siaya County security team travelled overnight to Nairobi to collect the suspect, Owino, who was arrested late Wednesday night at his home in the Kianda area of Kibra by detectives from Kibra Sub County.
Security teams from both Siaya and Kibra cross-checked their intelligence, which confirmed that Owino matched the identity of the suspect behind the attack.
The DCI team from Ugunja arrived in Nairobi with Owino’s wife, who was arrested earlier on Wednesday after police recovered a petrol can believed to have been used in the arson at their home in Upanda village, Sigomere.
Owino is accused of orchestrating the deadly fire that wiped out an entire family, allegedly fueled by a land dispute within the village.
Kilimani Police Commander Patricia Yegon confirmed the arrest.
Investigations suggest that Owino returned to Kibra on Wednesday after allegedly being in his rural village, where the arson took place on Tuesday night.
Residents who knew Owino raised suspicions after he informed them he had traveled to his rural home on the night of the incident.
Police supported by local leaders in Kianda launched an operation and arrested him.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that Owino allegedly hired a group of associates and traveled with them to Upanda village in the early morning hours to commit the crime before returning to Nairobi.
Residents of Upanda Village in Sigomre woke up to the devastating news that an entire household a man, his wife, and their seven children had been wiped out in a mysterious fire.
Police said the incident may have been deliberately set, possibly linked to a long-standing land dispute involving the family.
Four of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, while the others were found lifeless in the remains of the charred house.
Among the deceased were a high school student preparing for national exams and a six-month-old infant, raising further questions and concern, police said.
The man of the home aged 45 was involved in a land dispute with another family, police said adding the matter had been solved in court.
The bodies were moved to the Siaya County Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations as police continue their investigation.
Nyanza regional head of DCI George Mutonya said they are looking for more suspects linked to the killings.
Witnesses have told police the arsonists arrived aboard a car and executed the mission before escaping.
They had locked the doors of the affected house from outside.
A court had resolved the dispute.
In a retaliatory move, enraged residents descended on the suspect’s home, setting both the main house and surrounding farm structures ablaze.
Police said they have heightened security in the area to prevent further violence, as tension remains high.
Cases of arson and murder are on the rise in the region.
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