Authorities have made significant progress in the investigation of the brutal murder of Molo-based activist Richard Otieno, alias Molo President, with the arrest of three more suspects. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday confirmed that officers from the Homicide Investigations Bureau and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) successfully apprehended Peter Oketch, alias DJ IO, Joseph Kihara Kariuki, alias Jose, and Evans Aseka Okututi.
According to DCI, forensic evidence linked the three to the crime scene. Reports indicate that the suspects, along with accomplices still at large, were transported from Molo to Elburgon, where they allegedly carried out the heinous act.
Following the gruesome murder, Peter Oketch and Joseph Kihara Kariuki fled the country, seeking refuge in Majahida, Bariadi District, Tanzania, in an attempt to evade law enforcement. However, their freedom was short-lived. Tanzanian authorities closed in on them, forcing them to return to Kenya on Friday, February 21, 2025, where they were immediately arrested by Kenyan detectives.
“The three suspects were forensically connected to the crime scene, and their movements have been under close watch. Their return to the country provided an opportunity for our officers to execute their arrests,” DCI stated.
The three, together with a previously arrested accomplice, are expected to appear before the Nakuru Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where investigators will seek custodial orders to facilitate further questioning and probe into the case.
Their arrests come weeks after DCI detained five other suspects on February 3, 2025, in connection with the murder of Otieno. The activist’s lifeless body was discovered on January 18, 2025, sending shockwaves across the local community.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Otieno succumbed to severe head injuries caused by repeated blows from a sharp object, likely a machete or an axe.
DCI has assured the public that efforts to bring all perpetrators to justice remain ongoing. Detectives are actively pursuing additional suspects believed to have played a role in the gruesome murder. The case continues to garner attention, with human rights organizations calling for swift justice for the slain activist.
With the latest arrests, authorities are tightening their grip on those involved, reinforcing their commitment to ensuring justice prevails in this high-profile murder case.
