A Shanzu court Tuesday okayed the 21-day detention of two suspects over the robbery and murder of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Kilifi acting manager Aisha Abubakar.
The duo, Joseph Sunday and Brian Templer Oyare will be remanded at Bamburi police station after Senior Principal Magistrate Leah Juma found compelling reasons to have them assist authorities with investigations.
Among the reasons that court considered include the fact that the duo has no fixed address that could be used to trace them if handed temporary freedom.
Further, the magistrate observed the offences committed were serious in nature and authorities needed time and all the support to finalize investigations.
The court heard that the two suspects were arrested on January 13, 2025, while in hiding, eight days after the incident at the deceased’s residence in Kisauni, a Mombasa suburb.
Earlier, police constable Oscar Mugalla, in an affidavit filed before the
court, asked for time to record statements from key witnesses and forward the
exhibits recovered for forensic analysis to Nairobi in a bid to finalize
investigations
Mugalla explained that the police had so far recovered the victim’s
mobile phone, ID cards, SIM cards, and birth certificates among other paraphernalia
related to this case.
The matter will be mentioned on February 6, 2025.
The IEBC official was stabbed to death at her home in
Utange, Mombasa County on January 5, 2025.
During the attack, her son was attacked and seriously wounded.
He is recovering from the injuries.
Police had arrested three suspects but now plan to use one as a
witness.
During the attack, one of the attackers wore a facemask,
witnesses said.
The gang gained access to the house by cutting the grills of the kitchen window
while armed with a crowbar and knife.
The deceased was stabbed and cut on the head above the right eye while the son was cut on the head.
Police said immediately after the attack, the gang robbed the deceased of her
mobile phone, a 65-inch TV set, a sound system and an iPad.
This was after they had also attacked and injured the son,
police said.
The son was however able to drive the mother to Premier Hospital where she was
pronounced dead on arrival.
Aisha joined the Commission in 2012 as a Constituency Elections
Coordinator for Nyali and was first deployed to Kilifi South.
She has diligently served the Commission and risen through the ranks to the position of Acting County Elections Manager – Kilifi, the commission said.
