Five charged, four turn state witnesses in Molo activist Richard Otieno murder case
The five, Peter Okech alias DJ IO, Joseph Kihara, Evans Aseka, Geoffrey Ndung'u and Stephen Masheti are set to face murder charges after police linked them to the brutal killing of Otieno.
Five suspects have been charged in connection with the January 18 murder of Molo activist Richard Otieno after being detained for 21 days as investigations progressed.
The five, Peter Okech alias DJ IO, Joseph Kihara, Evans Aseka, Geoffrey Ndung'u and Stephen Masheti are set to face murder charges after police linked them to the brutal killing of Otieno, popularly known as 'Molo President,' at his home in Elburgon, Nakuru County.
Nine individuals were initially arrested in connection with the crime. However, four other suspects—Clinton Simantu, Jorim Ngong'a, Peter Mwaniki, and John Ndegwa—were released on Thursday due to a lack of sufficient evidence against them.
Instead, State Counsel Emma Okok noted that they would serve as state witnesses in the case.
Appearing before Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion, the prosecution confirmed that police had concluded their investigations and requested to close the miscellaneous file. The five accused will now be arraigned before the High Court to enter their plea to murder charges.
The suspects were arrested on separate dates in February after detectives obtained court orders to detain them for further investigations.
Guns for hire
According to police findings, the suspects were allegedly paid by an unidentified individual to eliminate Otieno, a vocal critic of the local leadership.
Investigators have identified Peter Okech as the mastermind behind the plot. Authorities allege that he was the one who received the contract to carry out the killing and subsequently recruited his accomplices.
CCTV footage reportedly captured Okech and Kihara planning an ambush in Molo before executing the attack. Following the murder, the three suspects allegedly fled to Tanzania, where they stayed with extended family members before eventually returning to Kenya.
“Following the incident, Peter Oketch and Joseph Kihara Kariuki fled to Majahida in Bariadi District, Tanzania, in an attempt to evade capture. However, they returned to Kenya on Friday, February 21, 2025, after Tanzanian authorities closed in on them,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement.
A post-mortem examination of the late activist revealed that he died from severe head injuries inflicted by a sharp object, likely a machete or axe, used multiple times.
He was buried on February 7, in Siaya County.
The case now moves to the High Court, where the accused are expected to take their plea.
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