Treat all murder cases equally
By Editorial, November 8, 2024
The speed and efficiency with which detectives have investigated some of the recent killings is a clear manifestation that Kenyan detectives are skilful and well equipped with sophisticated forensic tools.
Though the findings are still preliminary, the investigation into the brutal murder of Wells Fargo HR director Willis Ayieko has placed some of the key suspects at the scene of the crime, established corroborative evidence and unearthed the prime suspects’ previous criminal activities.
Legally, all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court and the burden of proof lies on prosecutors and the police to prove the accused guilt beyond reasonable doubt. However, it is clear that the investigation into Ayieko’s killing is on the right trajectory.
The evidence collected in this case so far seems plausible, and the result of meticulous investigations.
On Wednesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations also linked the prime suspect in the brutal murders of a mother, her daughter and niece in Eastleigh to the killing of another woman, whose body was dumped at the Lang’ata cemetery.
Detectives established that the suspect was the last person to have been with the deceased woman. The probe involved visiting a supermarket and a residence in Lavington and reviewing CCTV
footage.
Kenyans are concerned about the apparent increase in cold murder cases.
These cases have had disastrous effects on family members of the victims.
We are aware that solving such murders, and all other crimes, requires credible witnesses and evidence that is admissible in court.
As demonstrated in investigations into the Ayieko and Eastleigh murders, Kenya has good trained homicide detectives with the ability to thoroughly probe such cases.
Though the DCI is poorly resourced, detectives should endeavour to treat all murder cases the same way and not choose when to be efficient and which ones to investigate.
On the night of February 29, for example, Philip Omollo Nyangara was brutally murdered as he left a shopping centre in Upper Nyakach, Kisumu county.
No action has been taken. That is why we demand that detectives handle all cases equally. One life lost is one too many.