One of the main suspects in the murder of Wells
Fargo HR manager Willis Ayieko had been involved in several violent robberies,
including the fatal shooting of a female Mpesa agent in Kisumu on January 27,
2024, police have claimed.
The father of the slain suspect who positively
identified the body at the mortuary told the detectives that the son’s real
name is Robert Wakolo Okoth.
He added that his alias names, based on who
asked, were George Oduor Okoth and Kim.
“A national ID card retrieved from a police exhibit store for wanted criminals earlier seized during a security operation, and a report obtained from the National Registration Bureau (NRB) confirmed the father's claim,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Sunday.
Okoth was shot dead in a security operation and
a firearm, a Smith and Walter pistol, was recovered from him.
He was ambushed by detectives in his hideout at
Mulberry Guest House opposite Kisumu National Polytechnic.
He had earlier escaped a police dragnet leaving
behind a rolling vehicle and a seriously injured female passenger, who later
died, was fatally injured to subdue him.
Police said the suspect hailed from the Rai area of
Nyamasaria in Kisumu County.
The DCI Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau
(CRIB) detectives who had been profiling the hitherto unidentified robbery
suspect, linked the 34-year-old to a series of violent attacks.
Wakolo shot dead Mpesa agent Grace Awino Odera
on January 27 at Kibuye market near Hekima School in Lolwe.
“In the incident, one suspect was arrested, and
an AK 47 rifle earlier robbed from a Ugandan police officer was recovered. Also
recovered was a Toyota Axio used by the suspects in the robbery. Robert Wakolo,
however, managed to get away,” the DCI said.
On May 3, 2024, detectives working on intelligence
leads raided Robert's home in Nyamasaria, recovering another AK 47 rifle, a
magazine and 36 live rounds of ammunition.
Although he managed to escape, his
17-year-old younger brother and suspected accomplice were arrested and charged.
Wakolo was also wanted by Kondele police for
robbery with violence and possessing a magazine and ammunition.
Detectives now believe the suspects were hardcore robbers roaming in the area when they bumped into Ayieko.
A resident in Gem has told police the killers took and held Ayieko in his house overnight. A crime scene where Ayieko's head was hit has been identified.
Wakolo is a former boxer.
A suspect, Victor Okoth Ouma who is thought to
be his brother is in custody.
Ouma who was arrested in Nairobi’s Dandora
estate was presented at the Siaya Law Courts on October 30.
Investigators were granted 21 days to detain the
suspect as part of their probe. Police said Ouma was placed at the crime scene
through forensic analysis.
He is also said to have made transactions via
Ayieko’s mobile phone.
He used the mobile phone to withdraw money from
his account.
It was after his arrest that police laid an
ambush for more accomplices in a dramatic shooting the saw the arrest of two
women. One of them died later.
The body of Willis Ayieko was found in a stream
in Gem, Siaya County.
Ayieko went missing on October 18 after
attending a funeral in Gem. The vehicle was found abandoned at a petrol station
in Sabatia, Vihiga county
Ayieko had left the funeral to spend the night
in his home but it is suspected that he was abducted by unknown people who
killed him.
His hands were handcuffed behind his back,
and the eyes and tongue had been gorged out.
Police in Gem Wagai sub-county, later recovered his pistol which he was robbed of the day he was killed.
