Migori Governor's personal assistant to be detained for additional 14 days

Michael Oyamo, one of the key suspects in the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno in the dock at a Milimani court. [George Njunge/Standard]

The High Court has allowed police to hold a suspect in the killing of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno for two weeks.

Justice Luka Kimaru granted the special homicide investigations unit 14 days to detain Michael Oyamo at Muthaiga Police Station after being notified of possible charges against him.

“The court agrees that the case is complex and due to the multifaceted nature of investigations, it is only fair that the suspect be detained for 14 days to allow investigators to complete their work,” ruled Kimaru.

Justice Kimaru read to Oyamo the proposed charges informing him that the court only wanted to make him to be aware of what he might face after the two weeks.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Tom Imbali convinced the judge to allow them to continue holding Oyamo, arguing that the investigators were still pursuing crucial leads and that more suspects were still on the run.

Forensic audit

Mr Imbali submitted that the purpose of bringing Oyamo to Court was only to notify him of why he was being held and to allow investigators to process him.

“It is public knowledge that the matter is complex, we have several phones that need to go for forensic audit. The investigators want to analyse call data that might link several perpetrators to the killing,” said Imbali.

He said police were also analysing DNA results from Oyamo and other persons of interest.

Oyamo’s lawyers, Neville Amolo and June Ashioya, protested his continued detention claiming he had been subjected to mistreatment since his arrest on September 5. The prosecution, however, denied mistreating the suspect.

Transferred to Nairobi

The lawyers questioned why only Oyamo was being kept in custody when police had interrogated and recorded statements from other suspects.

 “We do not understand why he is being held if the prosecution has no evidence to charge him. We are not opposed to their investigations, they can take as much time as they want but not at the expense of our client who has a right to be released,” said Amolo.

Both the prosecution and the defence lawyers agreed that the matter be transferred to Nairobi to avoid further tension.

Justice Kimaru directed that Oyamo be produced in court on September 26 before Justice Jessie Lessit.