Mystery deepens over murder of county boss who foresaw his end

Friends and relatives mourn the late Donny Opar, Homa Bay CEC member for transport and infrastructure. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

A day before his death, murdered Homa Bay County Executive Committee member Philemon Donny Opar had sent a desperate appeal to authorities to arrest members of a gang he claimed was plotting to harm him, the Sunday Standard can reveal. 

Opar, the county’s CEC designate for Transport and Infrastructure complained on Thursday that a gang using a motorcycle had been stalking him and even tried to break into his home at Apida in Karachuonyo Sub-county last week.

Opar, 60 and a father of six was shot dead at his petrol station in Kendu Bay town on Friday night as he reconciled the day’s collections with his workers.

He was nominated to the post by Governor Cyprian Awiti two months ago and was due to be sworn into office next Wednesday. The County Assembly had cleared him for the job and his name had been published in the Kenya Gazette.

Opar become the third county official to be attacked and the second to be killed in a span of four years.

In 2014, the MCA for Kibiri Ward also in Karachuonyo, Boaz Odhiambo, was shot dead in his house. And last year, a senior Accountant at the Homa Bay County Assembly, Maurice Amek, was shot and wounded as he entered his home in Homa Bay town. In both cases, the attackers were never found.

Investigations by the Sunday Standard indicated Opar, a financial experts and politician who has been vying for the Karachuonyo Parliamentary seat, has been living in fear since last week after suspicious looking people riding on a motor cycle drove to his gate at night probably on a spying mission.

Last Thursday, Opar went public with his fears and asked the area Chief and the police to investigate the activities of some people, he claimed were a threat to security of the locals.

In a video widely shared on social media, Opar is heard complaining during a funeral of insecurity in the Wang Chieng’ ward. He said the suspects may be after him and other local residents.

“There is a motor bike being driven across this village at night with a sinister motive. The motorcycle has no headlights but its passengers have spotlights.  They have been coming to my gate. Last week I saw them outside my gate then they drove off,” Opar says in the two-minute video.

He adds: “I know what they want. I also know them and I also know who had sent them.  I want to tell the Chief to have them arrested. If they cannot be arrested, the people will arrest them.”

Homa Bay governor Cyprian Awiti, who has been abroad on sick leave, condemned Mr Opar’s  killing and called  on the CID Director, George Kinoti to send  as special homicide team to Homa bay to help unravel the murder and  arrest the killers.

“This is devastating coming at a time were preparing to swear Mr Opar into office next week. AS we mourn Donny, we plead with the police to help us get these killers. We are also eager to know the motive behind the murder,” said Awiti.

Opar was killed at 10.47 pm. The three attackers appear to have been hiding near his office at the petrol station. They walked in as Mr  Opar and some of his  pump attendants  were  counting the day’s  collection. They shot him on the abdomen twice, before running away. [James  Omoro]

Homa Bay County Directorate of Criminal Investigations Commander Daniel Wachira said they were interrogating five suspects including some of Mr  Opar’s  employees.

“Investigations are going to ensure we get people who committed the murder,” said Wachira.

Witnesses to the murder say it is not clear how the assailants gained access into the building with more than three rooms and a single entrance. 

Other witnesses said the thugs also had  a motor cycle  parked  outside the petrol station.

“I heard a voice of the fourth person who was probably the getaway driver calling them ‘Nanii kuja tuende’,” he added.

The gunmen also made away with a laptop and all money that had been collected. Opar’s body was taken to Kendu Adventist Hospital and was later transferred to Agh Khan Hospital in Kisumu.

Opar’s brother Benard Opar expressed concern that he had feared for his life a head of the incident. 

He was referring to a video clip in which Opar talked during a burial a burial at Karabondi village that some bodaboda riders had been sent to kill him.

“My brother said some people wanted to kill him. As a family, we need justice,” said Benard. 

Opar’s name has been added to the list of public officials who have been killed under mysterious circumstances in Homabay County.

But even as the police pursue his killers, Homabay residents are still waiting for justice in previous shootings involving prominent personalities in the county.