DPP Haji and DCI Kinoti under pressure to speedily resolve the two cases

The Rongo University student Sharon Otieno who was murdered last week.

All eyes are on State agencies as investigations into the killing of university student Sharon Otieno and the attempted murder of former Garissa County executive Idris Mukhtar gather pace.

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti face a major test depending on how they handle the cases.

The public will be waiting for the two, who have lately won the public to their side over their fight against corruption, to stamp their authority and tackle impunity given the country's history of unresolved murders.

The DCI, who is handling both cases, has been giving Haji updates on the progress of investigations as the police plan to transfer the Homa Bay case to Nairobi. Mr Kinoti has already hinted at major arrests this week.

Last week, Kinoti sent a homicide squad to Homa Bay just days after Sharon, 26, was found murdered and her body dumped in Kodera forest.

A postmortem carried on Friday revealed that she was stabbed eight times, after possibly having being gang-raped. Five used condoms were found at the scene. Sharon's body had been sprayed with acid.

The police have yet to summon Migori Governor Okoth Obado said to have been known to Sharon.

Yesterday, his lawyers said Obado was ready to appear before the DCI to record a statement should he be required to.

“He has not been summoned so far. The governor will only speak after he records any statement with police if he is required to do so,” one of the lawyers, Roger Sagana, told The Standard.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and MPs Ayub Savula (Lugari) and Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) separately piled pressure on the DCI to summon Obado.

Reports have emerged that the main suspect being held in connection with the abduction and murder of the Rongo University student claimed that he too was a victim of kidnapping.

Michael Oyamo, a former KDF officer and Obado’s personal assistant, told police he had been kidnapped but managed to escape and seek medical attention at Kisii Level Five hospital, 60 kilometres away. Mr Oyamo said he later went to Uriri Police Station in Migori to report the incident before his arrest.

Journalist Barrack Oduor, who had been kidnapped alongside Sharon, linked Oyamo to the incident, saying he lured the two in the guise of taking them to meet Obado.

In the Garissa case, the man who confessed to have shot Mr Mukhtar, David Mwai, allegedly committed suicide at Parklands Police Station.

A postmortem concluded that Mwai died from strangulation but did not state if it was suicide, fuelling speculation of a cover-up.  

Governor Ali Korane has recorded statements with the police in which he distanced himself from the incident.

Mukhtar was shot as he left a mosque in Kileleshwa.