Kin of Knec official killed in Isiolo allege cover-up

Emmanuel Owino Omogo. Autopsy shows Owino died as a result of a single gunshot to his chest. [Courtesy]

The family of a Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) official allegedly killed by bandits in Isiolo have accused investigators of trying to cover up the incident.

Through lawyer Samuel Aduda, the family of Emmanuel Owino Omogo claims that police in Isiolo have refused to tell them the truth.

According to Aduda, three suspects who had been arrested in connection with the murder.

"We are perturbed to learn that in the face of the loss of life of a young Kenyan in a most heinous and violent manner, police in Isiolo have compromised investigations and refused to tell the family what happened or record their statements," said Aduda.

The family has written to the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to appoint a homicide team to investigate Owino's death. They have also written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take up the matter and prosecute the suspects.

According to police records, Owino, who was an ICT officer at Knec headquarters in Nairobi, left the city in the company of Michael Macharia Nderitu on June 6 for a trip to Isiolo.

While in Isiolo, they boarded a police vehicle to Merti the following day but it is alleged to have been shot by bandits along the Isiolo-Merti road.

The family said they were notified of the incident on June 8 and a post-mortem report showed Owino died as a result of a single gunshot from behind that pierced through his chest.

Owino was the only person killed in the alleged banditry attack. Police claimed that since he was inexperienced with bandit attacks, he had jumped out of the vehicle and started running to the bush when he was shot in the back.

Bandit attack

However, the lawyer claimed that the theory of bandit attack does not add up since no any other occupant in the vehicle was injured if indeed it was sprayed with bullets.

"There are many contradictions regarding the account we were given. They say the victim was in the police vehicle but a report from the police station claims he was not one of the occupants. Also, no spent cartridges were recovered from the scene of bandit attack," said Aduda.

He said police claimed that the released suspects were also victims of the bandit attack.

According to Aduda, the family is worried that the DCI in Isiolo claimed to have concluded investigations without checking the phone records of the deceased or questioning the business partners he was involved with in some land transactions.

"What the family wants is the truth because they are apprehensive that the trip to Isiolo might have been pre-planned to harm him. He had no intention of going to Isiolo and only notified his brother on the morning they left," said Aduda.

The family wants a homicide team from DCI headquarters take investigate the death.