NAKURU, Kenya — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has secured court approval to exhume bodies buried inside Lake Nakuru National Park as part of an ongoing probe into the disappearance of fisherman Brian Odhiambo, who went missing in January after allegedly being arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers.
The Nakuru Chief Magistrate’s Court has authorised detectives from the DCI Homicide Unit to carry out an extensive search and exhumation within the park after receiving credible intelligence indicating that Odhiambo’s remains may have been secretly buried within the protected area.
Odhiambo vanished on January 18, 2025, after going fishing on Lake Nakuru. Witnesses claim he was last seen in the custody of KWS officers.
Six rangers were later charged with abduction with intent to confine, and the case has been ongoing since May, with 13 witnesses so far testifying. The final prosecution witness — an investigating officer — is scheduled to take the stand on November 10.
Family Frustration Over Delays
Despite the new court order, Odhiambo’s family has expressed frustration over what they describe as slow implementation of the directive.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations sought and obtained far-reaching court orders on Monday… but we are deeply concerned about the pace of implementation,” said the family’s lawyer, Abuya Mogendi. “We respectfully urge that the process be expedited. Any further delays risk compromising crucial evidence.”
Under the order, the DCI will exhume the suspected bodies and conduct DNA analysis to determine whether Odhiambo is among the dead.
Sources suggest that multiple bodies may have been buried within the park, raising questions that could expose the wildlife agency and park management to further scrutiny — and possible lawsuits.
New Witness Testimony Triggers Action
The court’s decision came after fresh testimony from a key witness, who told the court that he saw Odhiambo’s lifeless body inside a KWS vehicle — contradicting earlier claims by rangers that the fisherman had escaped custody.
Testifying before Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion on September 8, the witness — serving a four-year sentence for illegal fishing — said he was arrested alongside five other fishermen by KWS rangers and taken by boat to Summit area in Nakuru.
He told the court that the officers ordered them to lie on their stomachs before a green KWS vehicle arrived. Inside, he said, was a shirtless man wearing black shorts with white stripes — motionless and apparently dead.
“Moments later, one of the rangers signalled to his colleagues that the man inside the vehicle had died,” the witness testified, identifying the man as Brian Odhiambo.
A second witness, currently detained in Nyandarua, later corroborated the account, identifying Odhiambo from photographs and pointing out the six KWS officers charged with his abduction.
Rights Groups Demand Accountability
Civil society organisations have condemned the slow pace of the investigation, describing it as a symbol of systemic impunity within Kenya’s security agencies.
Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Vocal Africa, said Odhiambo’s case exposes a deeper rot in how state institutions treat vulnerable citizens.
“It is extremely deplorable that in Kenya today, a few fish like this are held with more regard and are more valuable to our security agencies than human beings,” Khalid said. “Brian Odhiambo lost his life because of a few fish like this, and he’s no more. His family is still searching for answers.”
Khalid urged anyone with information about the disappearance to come forward, assuring witnesses of safety and protection.
“They say a society is not judged by how it treats the powerful, but by how it treats the weak and vulnerable. If Kenya is to be judged by the case of Brian Odhiambo, then Kenya is a rotten society,” he said.
The Kenya Wildlife Service has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that its officers have cooperated with investigators throughout the process.
