Mystery murder of Kenya Airways hostess found naked with legs and arms tied

By David Odongo

Mystery has deepened over the murder of a 23-year-old Kenya Airways hostess after the suspect in the gruesome killing committed suicide hours after he was let free by the police. Ruth Akinyi Ogara, was found tied in bed, naked and her body partially burnt.

Her legs and hands were tied with rope and a masking tape over her mouth. An empty but freshly used glass of wine was found next to her bed. Ogara, who has worked for Kenya Airways for two years, had just returned from a one-week work-related trip and settled at home to wait for her boyfriend, an Asian businessman.

According to Ogara’s close friend,  the Asian businessman had dated her for almost a year in a reportedly acrimonious relationship.

“She confided in me that she wanted to break off the relationship since she didn’t see it heading anywhere,” says Ogara’s friend. “That was the last time I saw her, and we just chatted briefly outside our court.” Our sources reveal that the Asian businessman was the only known boyfriend Ogara had and no other men frequented her house. On that fateful Friday, Ogara flew back into the country and the boyfriend came over to visit her. They had a brief conversation before a verbal fight ensued. They made up and went to sleep. Ogara’s sister was in the house sleeping in another room.

“I was called at 2pm deep in the night last Friday (September 27) as I was having fun (and told) that my friend had died. Nobody actually knows what happened apart from the Asian man and Ogara’s sister who were in the house,” says our source. The house was partially burnt and the man and Ogara’s sister are said to have escaped the inferno.

“The sister was then admitted to Mater hospital, surprisingly, with an alleged bullet wound on her leg. I wonder how the bullet wound, the fire and Akinyi’s death are related,” said a security guard at Imara Daima where the young hostess lived.

The guard says they did not hear any commotion in the night Ogara. Efforts to get comments from Ogara’s sister, only identified as Jacky, were futile as The Nairobian was reliably informed that she was still in shock and in no condition to talk. Ruth Ogara’s father is the OCPD, Teso North.  Her burial was set for October 5 at her parent’s home in Asembo. Friends have already created a page on Facebook in her memory.