Sleuths grapple with motive of scribe’s murder

  by PD Reporter

@PeopleDailyKe

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations were by yesterday still trying to establish the motive and identity of the gunmen who killed journalist Betty Khainja Baraza, who was buried yesterday at her residence in Kajiado county.

Detectives from the Homicide Department at the DCI headquarters have joined the investigation team even as a ballistic analysis report is expected today.

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) journalist was buried in her Oloolua Ngong home in a private ceremony after a requiem mass at Montezuma Monalisa Funeral Home in Nairobi.

Her husband, Geoffrey Barasa Namachanja, eulogised her as a supportive wife who was a pillar in their family. 

“We were married for 17 years. We met in April 2004, married in April 2014 and the killers took her life in April,” he said.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula,  who attended the mass as a family friend, honoured the murdered journalist as one of the leading lights of her home county.

Wetang’ula said he did not know Ms Barasa was a family member when he first heard about the shooting until someone called to condole him.

“I received three calls from (a Mr) Edwin (a family member) and thought he was calling to condole me about my mother who had passed away. When I got back to Nairobi I called back and he told me that Betty, Geoffrey’s wife is the one who had been shot,” said Wetang’ula.

Preliminary reports indicate the murder was well planned that the killers were keen on not leaving any trace. The gunmen are suspected to have collected the spent cartridge from the scene but a bullet head was recovered.

Betty’s phone, which was also found a few metres from her residence, had also been taken for analysis. 

Detectives have however told People Daily that mobile phones belonging to Ms Barasa’s husband Geoffrey which were stolen during the shooting were traced to Karen where they remained on for two days after the murder before being switched off.

The gang was armed with two a G3 and two AK47 rifles. They were hooded and had also put on gloves, according to Geoffrey who is the Head of Finance at the National Museum of Kenya.

So far, at least eight people have recorded statements, including the husband, the house help and another man who had visited the family.

During the incident, the gunmen ransacked the house before robbing them of a laptop valued at Sh90,000 and two mobile phones among other valuables.

Geoffrey told People Daily the gunmen returned his wallet after they realised it had only his ID and an ATM card. “They told everyone to lie down and took my wife upstairs,” he said. 

They again took him around the house, insisting they wanted money and even robbed him of his wedding ring.

After shooting her, one of the gunmen is said to have made a call and said they had “finished the work” they were doing, according to Geoffrey.