NAIROBI, Kenya – Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) board member Ebel Ochieng, known as Dave Colo, has been detained for 23 days in connection with the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were.
The ruling came after JKIA Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi dismissed a request for her recusal from the case.
Ochieng, along with co-accused Edwin Oduor, will remain in custody while investigations into the assassination continue.
Magistrate Gichobi rejected the recusal application, stating that it lacked merit.
She also ordered the two suspects to be detained for a period of 23 days as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) deepens its probe.
In court documents, DCI Inspector Oliver Nabonwe outlined that forensic analysis would be conducted on the mobile phones and SIM cards seized from the suspects.
Investigators believe Ochieng and Oduor were in communication with other individuals both before and after the fatal shooting of the MP, suggesting a premeditated and coordinated crime.
“Through mobile phone triangulation and witness interrogation, it has been confirmed that the suspects were in constant contact before, during, and after the crime. They were also in close proximity to the route the deceased’s vehicle traveled,” stated the investigating officer.
The investigation has focused on hours of CCTV footage from the IC3 system and private cameras along the route leading to the crime scene, which could provide critical insights into the circumstances surrounding the murder.
Preliminary interviews with the suspects also suggest they have vital information that could lead to further arrests.
The detention ruling followed objections from a team of high-profile lawyers, including Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta, and Sam Nyaberi, who sought Magistrate Gichobi’s recusal.
They argued that the judge had already ruled on a previous detention application for other suspects in the case and claimed that her involvement could lead to a perceived bias.
Omari argued that having two conflicting rulings from the same court, on the same set of facts, was problematic.
He added that Ochieng, the first respondent, was uncomfortable with Gichobi presiding over the case, asserting that the court’s stance suggested pre-judgment.
Despite these objections, Magistrate Gichobi maintained her position and proceeded with the detention order.
The two suspects, Ochieng and Oduor, were arrested last Wednesday after police identified them as key figures in the ongoing investigation into MP Were’s tragic death.
