Wanted Siaya Man Arrested in Sting Operation

Detectives in Siaya arrested one of the wanted suspects who had been on the run over the murder of a police officer and a teacher in the area. 

Hastings Omondi Odipo aka Martin aka Umar, 25 was linked to an incident, where a police officer was stabbed to death and robbed off his rifle and that of a colleague as they escorted examination papers to Mahero Secondary School in Alego Usonga Sub-County in Siaya County on November 20, 2023.

The weapons were later recovered in a police operation in the area where two suspects were killed a week later.

Police have promised to arrest all those involved in the killing and are calling upon members of the public to assist in providing information that can lead to the arrest.

Photos of Omondi and his associates including Edwin Omondi alias Rashid, Simon Ochieng Ouma alias Ali Baba, Salim Jackoyo, and Edward Wanyama Mukanga alias Abu Naiyah were circulated on the media with police asking members of the public for information on their whereabouts.

Omondi was arrested in Usenge Village within Bondo area of Siaya County, where he was hiding after committing the crime.

The suspect is held at Lwala Kotieno Police Station where several charges will be preferred against him.

Omondi hails from a humble background in Kadenge area and worked as a fisherman at Nina Beach near Lake Victoria before joining a criminal gang, which was terrorizing locals in western and Nyanza regions.

Detectives are hunting the other four suspects they say are on the run.

The police have extended their investigations to the neighbouring countries and have already reached out to the Interpol to assist to apprehend the suspects.

Detectives killed two of them on November 22 and recovered the two rifles- an AK47 rifle and an MP5- from them in Hawinga area in an operation.

A multi agency team was sent to the area after it emerged a terror cell was forming up there.

Seven terror suspects were arrested over the terror claims in an operation by the team.

A special team from Nairobi joined those on the ground to investigate the claims of terror cells operating there.

And after interrogation of those in custody, police have named five more suspects they say they want for questioning.

According to police, Mukanga hails from Mung’ao B village in Gangu Location within Siaya County and he was a fisherman at Ogangara beach.

Police say he is the leader of the criminal gang based in Hawinga area in Siaya County and the mastermind of the plot to attack the teacher and police officer on the material day.

Ouma is a resident of Uhuyi area within Uranga in Siaya County and is also linked to criminal activities in Baba Dogo area in Nairobi County while Odipo hails from Kadenge in Siaya County and is a fisherman at Nina beach in Lake Victoria.

He is a member of the criminal gang based in Hawinga area, Siaya County.

Jackoyo is a resident of Kadenge area in Siaya County.

He is a member of the criminal group that also terrorized businessmen in Siaya, Kisumu and Busia counties, police say.

During the operations, assorted crude weapons including two pangas, one rungu, three knives and several Islamic literature were recovered from the suspects.

The team extended the operations to the Nyandorera area at Udamayi village and managed to arrest one more suspect then recovered several Islamic literature and writings, Arafat shawl, an Islamic hat, a small military bag, a pair of scissors, one plier, a pair of safety boots, about 200 grams of cannabis sativa seeds, one big spear and one black catapult.

Police say the attackers of the police were returnees from Somalia and had been operating in the area.

It is not clear what motivated them to stage the attack in the sleepy village.

Detectives have revealed they suspect the area has many returnees who had been radicalized in Somalia.

Most of them are currently posing as hawkers and could strike anytime when instructed.

After killing the officer, the men escaped later on and abandoned an Arafat shawl they had, police said.