Contrary to reports, Ouko murder witnesses still live

The report by John Oywa and Kepher Otieno on the death of Christabel Ouko, ‘Wife’s exit deepens puzzle of Ouko’s killers’ (Standard, August 23), cannot go unchallenged.

The report states that, ‘All major witnesses and suspects in the Ouko murder mystery have died in the span of 20 years’ and goes on to list some of those who ‘have also died mysteriously.’

I conducted much of the research behind the six-episode documentary aired on Kenyan TV earlier this year, ‘Murder at Got Alila: Who Killed Dr Robert Ouko and Why?’ and I am also completing a book on the subject. My list of Dramatis Personae includes over 500 names, of which I interviewed 60 and of which 34 were filmed on camera for the documentary series.

Even though over 27 years have passed since Dr Ouko’s murder, and even though the vast majority of the witnesses were not young at the time of his murder, I was struck by how many are still alive: most are.

The ‘Mysterious deaths’ myth must also be challenged. In March 2005, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that investigated the death of Dr Ouko, Mr Eric Gor Sungu, was quoted as saying, “More than 100 key witnesses linked to the unresolved murder have also died in the past 15 years” but the Committee’s report listed 18.

One of those listed was former Scotland Yard detective Kenneth Lindsay who was, in fact, alive at the time.

Dr Ian West, the British Home Office pathologist who accompanied the New Scotland Yard investigation team in February 1990 was also listed as one who had ‘died mysteriously’.

Dr West, in fact, died of cancer in a British hospital in July 2001. There was nothing mysterious about his death.