Slain former deputy governor was in distress

Slain former Kilifi deputy governor Kennedy Kamto.

Slain former Kilifi deputy governor Kennedy Kamto was a heavily indebted man who sometimes had to flee his residence to dodge creditors, detectives probing his killing have revealed.

The politician, who was shot three times at his Nyali home, was recently charged with obtaining Sh700,000 from some people and was out on bond.

Chief Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor performed an autopsy on Kamto’s body on Thursday. His report shows that he died from three bullets fired at close range to the left side of his chest.

“He owed many people money and this was not the first attempt on his life,” a Kilifi-based detective said.

No arrest

By yesterday, no arrests had been made and the actual motive of the killing remained unknown. The police indicated that family members will also be questioned in a bid to establish the motive.

Kamto had been dramatically arrested and charged at the Shanzu law courts in Mombasa two months ago over fraudulent acquisition of Sh700,000.

Unconfirmed reports also indicated that Kamto engaged in several businesses in Nairobi and in Coast dealing with tenders and drilling of water boreholes.

Mombasa police boss Johnstone Ipara said ballistic experts will later confirm the kind of firearm used.

Mr Ipara said before Kamto met his death, the police have established he had been at some joint around Nyali area in Kisauni sub-county.

He also appealed to the public to volunteer any information that could lead to the arrest of the killers. “We are appealing to the public to avoid speculation or drawing conclusions on the matter that is already being handled by the police,” said Ipara.

Kamto was shot dead on Wednesday morning by unknown gunmen a few minutes after bursting into his house at around 3am in frantic panic.

He reportedly asked family members to call the police before three gunmen stormed in, demanded money and took him to a separate room where they killed then fled. Their five children were away in China where they study.

The dawn attack at the home of the 58-year-old in Nyali happened just a few metres from the Nyali Police Station.

Kamto served in Governor Amason Kingi’s first administration but was not retained in the second term after he joined Jubilee party.