Police Tuesday explained the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of former Siaya County Assembly Clerk Felix Isaac Olwero on Monday morning outside his resort in Kombewa, Kisumu County.
According to the police the incident happened when a team of police responded to the White House Resort in the area following reports of a burglary.
By the time police arrived at the scene, Olwero had mobilized about five locals and tried to hunt for the said burglars around the place.
“The deceased together with the five laid an ambush in an adjacent maize farm in efforts to get the said burglars. The premise manager, oblivious of the said ambush, made a distress call to the police who rushed to the scene leading to the shooting,” police said.
According to the police, Olwero and the group charged towards the police also mistaking them for the said burglars.
It was then that the police opened fire in the confusion killing Olwero. He was shot in the chest after he charged at the officers and mistook them for the burglars, police said.
Siaya governor James Orengo Monday demanded swift and thorough investigations into the fatal shooting. Olwero was the husband of the Siaya County CECM for sports Angeline Oduor.
Orengo said he was devastated by the shooting.
“We condemn this heinous act in the strongest terms and demand swift, thorough investigations to ensure justice is served. No life should ever be cut short in such a senseless manner,” he said.
Olwero was Monday morning shot dead by the police outside his restaurant in what police termed as a case of mistaken identity.
Olwero, 50 died in a shooting incident that happened at his resort after police had been called there to respond to a case of failed burglary in the area on Monday dawn.
Police had initially mistaken Olwero for being part of burglars who tried to access White House Resort before shooting him, fatally.
According to police, a manager at the resort called for help saying there was a group of burglars attempting to gain access into the facility.
Police established it was the fifth such an attempt on the resort in recent days. The police responded to the area and cordoned the rear side of the resort when they spotted five men approaching.
The police had claimed the suspects were armed with pangas and other crude weapons and had threatened to harm the police.
They added they shot to the air to scare the suspects to surrender in vain as the deceased charged at them prompting the shooting. They didn’t know Olwero was the owner and was also responding to the scene.
The resort management said they were facing unprecedented attempts from burglars and urged for sustained patrols in the area to address the menace.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy.
A probe has since been opened into the shooting. A team of detectives revisited the scene on Monday as part of the probe into the incident.
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