Two suspects in Kilimani murder to take plea today

Chris Obure and co-accused Robert Bodo in the murder case for Kelvin Omwenga when they appeared at Kibra Law courts on September 04, 2020. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Two suspects in the murder of businessman Kevin Omwenga will be arraigned today for plea taking.

This is even as new CCTV video footage surfaced over the weekend giving more insight into the happenings on the night Omwenga was killed and one that could send investigators back to the drawing board.

Businessman Chris Obure and his bodyguard Robert Ouko will appear at the Milimani Law Courts today after High Court Judge James Wakiaga last Friday ordered that the two be presented in court today to answer to murder charges.

Obure and Ouko were arrested two weeks ago in connection with the murder of Omwenga, who was shot in his house at Galana Apartments in Kilimani.

According to the charge sheet, it is alleged that on August 21, 2020 at Galana Suites, Obure and Ouko jointly murdered Kevin Omwenga.

They have been in police custody ever since and recently underwent a mental test ahead of their court date today.

Police investigation reports indicate that Ouko allegedly used Obure’s pistol to shoot Omwenga. Ouko is the bodyguard and personal assistant to businessman Obure, who is the chairman of the MG Meriton Group located on North Airport Road.

Over the weekend, CCTV footage emerged showing how a man believed to be Ouko accessed Obure’s office, took a gun said to have been used in the shooting and later returned it.

In the footage, which is in The Standard’s possession, the man is seen entering Obure’s office located at Sentieu Plaza just next to Galana Suites at 6.26am on August 21, 2020. Omwenga is said to have been killed at 11.30pm on the same day.

In the video footage, the man is seen entering the office early morning in a blue jacket and holding a walkie-talkie. Alone in the office, he proceeds to the main desk where he picks a key and then goes to the other side of the desk, opens a safe and pulls out a gun, which he tucks in his waist.

He then goes back to the main desk and returns the keys. He walks around the room, still holding his walkie-talkie, touching TV screens before walking out minutes later.

Sleeveless jacket

At 11.42pm, he walks back into the office, but this time clad in a white T-shirt and sleeveless jacket. He is alone. He proceeds to the main office desk, picks what appears to be keys and moves to the other side of the desk where there is a safe.

He places the gun in the safe and heads back to the main desk where he seems to be placing the keys in one of the drawers. He then leaves the office at 11.44pm on August 21, 2020.

Obure is said to have told detectives that he was in a day-long meeting on the day Omwenga was killed.

While recording his statement with detectives, Ouko claimed to have handed the gun to Omwenga earlier in the evening before the duo left an entertainment joint along Argwings Kodhek Road to go to Ngara area of Nairobi where they picked Omwenga’s female companion seen in this CCTV footage. He claimed Omwenga wanted the firearm for show-off purpose.

Ouko said when it was time for him to go home that night, he pulled Omwenga from the sitting room where a party was going on, to his bedroom intending to take back the gun. That, he said, is when he accidentally shot Omwenga. He said the gun went off discharging a round through the left side of his chest.

On Friday, Ouko and Obure were presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Derrick Kuto at the Kibra law courts for closing of their miscellaneous file, where the court had granted the police 12 days to complete investigations before they are charged.

They then appeared before high court Judge James Wakiaga via zoom. The prosecution asked the court for seven more days to be able to carry out a mental assessment on duo before they were formally charged over the murder.

Justice Wakiaga gave investigators two days to carry out the mental examination and present Obure and Ouko before him today at 11am for plea taking.

The suspects will appear via zoom.