DCI arrest suspect in fatal Ang'ata Barrikoi shooting

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, Kiambu road May 6, 2025. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Detectives have arrested a key suspect in the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old man in Ang’ata Barrikoi, Transmara South.

This bring a major breakthrough to a case that has haunted residents for months.

The suspect, identified as Joshua Nkabash Sakuyiai, was arrested by officers from the Operations Action Team (OAT) working alongside their Transmara South counterparts over the killing of Charles Korir on August 13, 2025.

Korir was shot dead near Loliondo Farm in Mashangwa area along the Ngeendalel–Mashangwa Road.

According to police, residents reported hearing gunshots on the night of the attack, prompting officers to rush to the scene. “Upon arrival, officers found the victim had been shot twice in the head at close range,” police said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations indicated that Korir was ambushed by a gang of about eight armed men, who fled through a nearby sugarcane plantation towards Migori County.

The crime scene was documented and Korir’s body transferred to Kilgoris Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

Detectives immediately launched a manhunt, relying on forensic leads and intelligence gathered from the area.

That pursuit bore fruit on December 31, 2025, when Sakuyiai was cornered and arrested in Lolgorian.

He was arraigned before the Kilgoris Law Courts, where he was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000.

However, he failed to raise the amount and was remanded at Lolgorian Police Station. The case is scheduled for mention on January 13, 2026.

“Investigations are still ongoing, and we are pursuing additional leads to arrest the remaining suspects who are still at large,” detectives said.

The killing mirrors a pattern of violent crimes that have periodically rocked parts of Transmara and neighbouring regions, where ambush-style attacks linked to criminal gangs, land disputes or cattle rustling have claimed lives in recent years.

In previous cases, police have faced challenges tracing suspects who often exploit vast farmlands, forests and porous county borders to evade arrest.

Security analysts say the use of plantations and remote terrain as escape routes has complicated investigations.

 “Such gangs rely on numbers, familiarity with the terrain and fear among locals to disappear after attacks. Arrests like this send a strong signal that the law will eventually catch up,” said a former security officer familiar with operations in the region.

Residents of Ang’ata Barrikoi have welcomed the arrest, saying it restores some confidence in law enforcement.

Police have urged members of the public to continue sharing information, assuring them that the hunt for Sakuyiai’s accomplices remains a priority as investigators work to fully unravel the deadly ambush and bring all those responsible to justice.