Kitengela Men Murders: Three of four men who went missing in Kitengela have been found brutally murdered. Fears are that the fourth man will also be found dead. Elijah Obuong, 35, and Benjamin Amache Imbai, 30, were found murdered 100km away from where they were last seen alive.
Obuong’s body was retrieved from Mathioya River. His relatives led positively identified the body using his beard and tattoo marks on his body. The body had no visible injuries except a small spot on the forehead.
Imbai’s body was on the other hand identified by his relatives at the General Kago Funeral Home in Thika town. The body was spotted lying beside the road at Gakoe Forest in Gatundu North by a water company official who was driving along the Thika-Magumu Road on April 20.
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As investigations go on, revelations are emerging on the type of lifestyles that the quartet lived. According to a report that appeared in the Daily Nation, the four lived in the fast lane and had a history of run-ins with the law. Apparently, they lived large and spent their fortunes on fast cars, women and alcohol.
The report quoted one of the men’ relatives saying that one of the victims preferred the finer things in life and was always out with his friends partying. “My brother had a soft spot for the finer things in life. He has a child from a previous relationship but he had a fiancée. He was in the car hire business and could be a victim of circumstances,” said Elvis Imbai, the younger brother to Boniface Imbai. “My brother owned several SUVs, which he hired out regularly. The business could sustain his lifestyle; he was not a criminal. It’s true he has been to several police stations, but that had to do with his business. He lost three vehicles mysteriously between 2016 and 2017 to clients.”
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The report however said that police records place Benjamin at the centre of a crime committed on January 11 last year when a gang of seven broke into a car and stole Sh. 900, 000 at a yard on Ngong Road. He was reportedly among the gang that had trailed the victim from KCB Buruburu branch to the yard, where he had intended to buy a vehicle. The victim had left the cash in the car to negotiate with the dealers.
“He also had another case at Mavoko Law Courts and his last appearance was December 10 last year. Elijah also lived like a king as he always drove SUVs and told his friends that his lifestyle was supported by a relative working abroad,” the report said, adding that detectives were now following a close lead to recover a fleet of “questionable motor vehicles” owned by the missing persons.
According to a report that appeared in The Standard, the families of the deceased have issued their own theories blaming the police for the murders. “My cousin had been in and out of the police station and the way they disappeared, we can only think police had a hand in this issue,” James Owiti, Obuong’s relative, claimed.
