Residents Help Police Seize Fugitive Wanted For Murder Of Cop Escorting KCSE Papers

Police in Siaya County on Tuesday, December 19 arrested a wanted criminal gang member turned fugitive linked to the murder of a police officer who was escorting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam papers to Mahero secondary school in Alego Usonga.

In a statement by the National Police Service (NPS) shared by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect was arrested following a tip-off from members of the public.

Hastings Omondi Odipo aka Martin aka Umar, 25 was linked to the incident, where the police officer was stabbed to death and robbed of his rifle and that of the colleague as they escorted the examination papers to Mahero Secondary School on November 20, 2023.

Earlier, the police had published names and photos of Omondi and his associates including Edwin Omondi alias Rashid, Simon Ochieng Ouma alias Ali Baba, Salim Jackoyo, and Edward Wanyama Mukanga alias Abu Naiyah on the media asking members of the public for information on their whereabouts.

"The National Police Service appreciates the swift action by members of the public that led to the arrest of the culprit, Hasting Omondi in Usenge Village within Bondo area of Siaya County, where he was hiding after committing the crime," the statement read in part.

The suspect is held at Lwala Kotieno Police Station where several charges will be preferred against him.

NPS revealed that Omondi hails from a humble background in the Kadenge area and worked as a fisherman at Nina Beach near Lake Victoria.

This was his occupation before joining a criminal gang, which was terrorizing locals in western and Nyanza regions. NPS however did not reveal how Omondi transitioned from fishing to the criminal underworld.

On November 22, two of his fellow suspects were gunned down by police teams which also recovered the two police rifles that were stolen by the assailants.

In the incident, two armed police officers and the examination centre manager had just descended from a transport vehicle metres away from Mahero Secondary School, where they were to deliver the exam papers.

Unbeknownst to them, unknown armed assailants lay in wait at nearby thickets, who immediately opened fire frenziedly killing one of the officers and leaving the other for the dead. Luckily, the centre manager escaped unhurt.

Police believed that the attackers took advantage of the rainy season that made the path to the school gate impassable for vehicles, forcing the examination coordinating team to be dropped a distance away.

Not taking the battle lying down, security teams were deployed to hunt down the armed and dangerous suspects before the gunfight which fatally wounded the two suspects, recover the police firearms and bring them to book.

However, the other two he accompanied on the day he allegedly stabbed the officer to death were still on the run. 

"National Police Service is urging the rest of the gang members to surrender to the nearest police stations. At the same time, members of the public can share any information on other wanted persons to the nearest Police station or through the toll-free number 0800722203," urged NPS.