Willis Ayieko mourned as family awaits autopsy

He flew from Nairobi to his rural Siaya home to attend a close friend’s mother’s burial. That marked his very last trip to the village. 

The shocking cold blood murder of Wells Fargo human resource manager, Willis Ayieko Onyango, has left his family and those who knew him utterly devastated.

Hours into the ill-fated trip and immediately after attending a night vigil for his friend’s late mother, he was taken through the most gruesome murder and his body found floating in a river.

His elder brother Aggrey Oduor has shared a chilling account on how his brother’s decomposing body was found mutilated with his breasts, mouth, nose and ears cut and his eyes gouged out. This even as detectives working on the case are yet to divulge details into their preliminary investigations.

Ayieko’s body was discovered in the Mungowere stream in Yala, Siaya county on October 23 at 2pm after missing for five days.

The heinous murder also coming at a time when police in the country  are raising concerns on the rising cases of murder in the country.

The late Ayieko, a man many have described as friendly, amiable and a lover of humanity and one who did not deserve to die in such a brutal manner, leaves behind a wife and two children.

“Willis was a gentleman par excellence, he was apolitical, generally sociable and loving person who valued human relations,” Edwin Ng’ong’a, the late Ayieko’s nephew told The Standard.

The mutilated body of Ayieko arrived in Nairobi on Thursday night and is currently preserved at the Lee Funeral home awaiting investigations.

Close friends allude to the fact that among his many interests, the late Ayieko harboured political ambitions, the reason why there are calls for a comprehensive probe.

“At this point, investigators need to look beyond normal criminal culpability, if indeed he had political interests, then that is a clear prompt to widen the scope of investigations, no clues should be ignored,” explained George Musamali, a Nairobi based security consultant.  

According to family sources, the late Ayieko’s body will remain at the morgue until homicide detectives complete their investigations before allowing the family to proceed with post mortem.

Ayieko went missing last Friday after attending the funeral vigil in Nyamninia, Siaya County.

Five days later, his Orange pickup truck was found abandoned near a petrol station a few kilometers from where his remains were discovered.

“The pattern and manner of this death points to a low signature murder, in other words, this was a targeted murder from all analysis, somebody wanted him dead,” observed Musamali.

Family and friends have been meeting at his Lang’ata home in Nairobi to pay homage to a man who touched many people’s lives.

Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, the late Ayieko’s personal friend, is among a long list of high profile individuals who have mourned Ayieko.

Wandayi wrote on X: I am devastated by the painful and cruel death of my friend and compatriot, Willis Ayieko. No words can possibly express my feelings over this most unfortunate and dastardly occurrence,”

Siaya governor James Orengo said Kenya had lost a patriot and a gentleman par excellence.” To his beloved wife and children, I pray that the Almighty gives you strength,”

The Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) where the late Ayieko was a member has described the murder as senseless and called for thorough investigations into the death.

“"In this moment of grief, we stand in solidarity with the bereaved family and the Wells Fargo community." read the statement.

 “In light of this tragedy, we are confident that law enforcement agencies will conduct swift and thorough investigations to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice without delay.” added the statement while also calling for organizations to strengthen security protocols for HR professionals.

 IHRM Executive Director Quresha Abdullahi described Ayieko as a distinguished HR professional, adding that his death is a loss to the HR community.

“Ayieko was a distinguished member of our profession whose career exemplified excellence, integrity, and unwavering commitment to professional standards,” Quresha said.

 “His untimely death represents not only a personal tragedy but also a significant loss to the HR profession in Kenya.”

CCTV footage obtained from the petrol station where his vehicle was found showed two men parking it before fleeing the place on a motorbike.

Security analyst George Musamali argues that the scene where the body was discovered ought to have been handled more professionally from the onset.

“Investigations ought to have started right from where the body was retrieved, even the manner in which the body was discovered lying should offer clues, there’s more to it than just a post mortem,” stated Musamali.

Additionally, according to security analysts, detectives might zero in on an earlier probe on the pursuit for millions allegedly stolen by Wells Fargo company employees that saw police arrest a number of suspects last year.

Wells Fargo is corporate security and protection solution provider.

“We need a conclusive probe into this, what if this could be retaliatory, we know that when this happened there were far reaching actions taken at Wells Fargo, some that could be HR related, he was at the helm, what if this had a hand, we just need an honest probe,” noted a security expert who sought anonymity.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has raised concern over the rising murder cases in the last two months.

This comes at a time when media reports indicate a rise in abduction and murder cases in different parts of the country.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Kanja revealed that police across the country had recorded 339 murder cases since August.

At the same time, The Kenya National Private Security Workers Union(KNPSWU) has also added calls for thorough investigations into the late Ayieko’s death.