Five in court over murder of ODM supporters

By Robert Nyasato

Five men implicated in the murder of four people during a clash between two ODM factions in Rongo Constituency, Migori County were arraigned in a Kisii court.

The accused, Peter Onyango, Philip Odero, Jared Okumu, Lucas Obani and Naphtally Omondi denied the offence.

They were not allowed to take a plea in their first appearance in court last week after State Counsel Gerald Gitonga asked for more time to complete investigation.

Consequently, Kisii High Court Judge Roselyn Korir deferred the case to Tuesday when the accused took their pleas.

After entering a plea of not guilty, Korir ordered the suspects remanded until December 29 when the court will consider their application for bail. The court fixed the hearing for July 14.

Mr Gitonga told the court that investigation concerning the time the suspects allegedly committed the offence had not been completed.

He said the crime was committed the previous Sunday and that the investigating team had only two days to compile evidence for prosecution since the next day was a public holiday. Gitonga told the court circumstances surrounding the case were complex and needed more time to be thoroughly examined.

Four people were hacked to death during the clash while a fifth one is recuperating at Migori hospital with a fractured skull.

He also lost four fingers. The incident happened after a group of youth allied to a local politician attempted to open an ODM branch office, but they were stopped by a gang, believed to have been hired by a rival faction.

The gang of youth allegedly arrived in about ten vans and disrupted the function, resulting into the chaos.

The incident damaged ODM’s image after its controversial grass roots elections. The party expects to nominate delegates to attend a national delegates conference early next year from officials who were elected.