Boda boda rider charged with MMUST student’s murder

The court was told the student had just finished his end of the semester exams. [Photo, Standard]

A boda boda rider was on Monday charged with the murder of a fourth-year student from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST).

The deceased's body was recovered on the roadside two weeks ago at Lurambi trading centre.

Benson Avina Eredi was alleged to have murdered Clement Omollo Ogendo on the night of February 7 jointly with others not before court at Koromatangi Estate, Kakamega Central District.

Omollo, who was a Bachelor’s Degree student pursuing Information Technology is said to have boarded Avina’s motorcycle to ferry him home after a drinking spree.

The court was told the student had just finished his end of the semester exams.

His body was discovered on the roadside with severe head injuries and disfigured mouth after he was attacked at 1am after a drinking spree with his classmates at Kakamega Club.

According to court documents, the accused was spotted by the soldier manning the club picking Omollo before news emerged that he had allegedly murdered him after a disagreement on mode of payment.

Hamisi Kassim told the investigators that the accused who is commonly referred to as Bishop had on the fateful night left his two colleagues and never came back.

He told investigators that he heard Avina’s colleagues say he had attacked his customer who had opted to be paid on arrival at his house yet he wanted to be paid before reaching their destination.

Two of Omollo’s colleagues who had been held in connection with the murder since they were in the drinking spree together were released unconditionally and converted to state witnesses after it emerged that the deceased left them clearing the bill at the club.

Jackton Oduor and Godwin Oketch are said to have been at the joint together with the deceased but he left earlier saying he needed to wake up early the following day to open his snacks kiosk.

However, Omollo’s girlfriend Emmaculate Anyango whom they were cohabiting together at a residential house notified them that Omollo had not reached home.

After frantic efforts to trace him, they were asked to visit Kakamega County General Hospital after they were informed the police had picked a body at Lurambi with injuries.

Avina was arrested on February 9 after he dismissed his colleagues who were asking him to reveal what happened to his customer he had ferried leading to his death.

The court documents supplied to the defence indicated that Avina had insisted he wanted to be paid Sh100 for the service before reaching their destination yet the deceased is said to have offered to pay on arrival.

A confrontation is said to have ensued where the accused allegedly attacked Omollo leading to his demise.

According to a pathology report conducted by Kakamega’s Chief Pathologist Dixon Mchana, Omollo died due to severe head injury secondary to blunt force trauma, following assault.

Avina denied the charges when he appeared before High Court Judge Jesse Njagi.

He was granted Sh500,000 bond with a surety of similar amount pending the hearing on May 27.