Police have arrested Samuel Otieno Odak in connection to the murders of Evans Opiyo and Mohammed Saleh which occurred on July 1, 2024 in Kisumu.
The police announced Odak’s arrest on the afternoon of October 30, 2024, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn considerable public attention.
The 21-year-old was taken into custody after law enforcement received a tip-off from the public, which led them to his hideout at Awach River in Seme.
He now joins another person of interest, Oliver Ochieng Jaoko, who was arrested earlier on August 8, 2024.
“After months of relentless pursuit, Police Officers from Kondele Police Station have finally arrested Oliver Ochieng Jaoko, also known as Olivert. A manhunt was launched, and acting on a tip-off, he was smoked out of his hideout in the Manyatta area and apprehended.
“The DCI appreciates the members of the public for their continued support in sharing valuable information in the fight against criminal activities,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated when Jaoko was apprehended.
Both Odak and Jaoko are linked to the ongoing investigation being conducted by Kondele detectives, who are delving into the circumstances surrounding the murders, believed to stem from a dispute over the control of profits from five toilets located within Kisumu’s Kibuye Market.
According to police reports, the confrontation that led to the deaths of Opiyo and Saleh was particularly violent, with the two men brutally hacked to death over their dispute regarding the control of proceeds from the washrooms at the busy market.
Police say the man fled the scene taking the murder weapon with him following the brutal attack on his colleague.
“The man is said to have disappeared after the afternoon fatal attack on his associate John Olando Ambwaya, 29,” the DCI reported.
The incident unfolded at a local car wash where the man had an altercation with his ex-wife.
According to police, Witnesses described how the man struck his ex-wife on the head with a stone, knocking her unconscious.
In a tragic turn of events, the colleague intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, only for the man to draw a dagger and fatally stab him in the neck.
Although bystanders rushed the victim to Huruma Nursing Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
“In the unfortunate incident that happened at Valley Bridge Carwash, the man is said to have had an altercation with his ex-wife, whereby he used a stone to hit her on the head, knocking her out. In an attempt to calm the situation, Olando intervened, only for the person of interest to brandish a dagger which he drew through Olando’s neck. As Olando painfully slid to his death, the man vanished with the murder weapon,” the DCI detailed the tragic event.
