Blow by blow account of how and why Kevin Omwenga was murdered

Detectives have started investigating a big money link in the murder of a young businessman Kevin Omwenga in Kilimani area in Nairobi.

The link involves a multi million gold deal gone wrong as being one of the primary triggers for the brutal murder. Omwenga was shot dead at his apartment on the seventh floor of Galana Suites on Galana Road. The 28 year old was allegedly killed by his friend who has been identified as Robert Ouko on Friday night.

Omwenga’s brother, Wycliffe Omwenga, is reported to have told detectives that he (Wycliffe) was in the kitchen preparing supper, when he heard a gunshot sound emanating from Omwenga’s bedroom. When he (Wycliffe) rushed to Omwenga’s bedroom, he found him bleeding from the chest. Ouko, who was the only other person in the bedroom, claimed that Omwenga had shot himself. Kevin Omwenga was pronounced dead at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital where he was rushed after the shooting.

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The firearm, Ceska Pistol serial number B156623, that Ouko allegedly used in the shooting belonged to businessman Chris Obure. Obure has an office on the first floor of Santeu Plaza, which is next to the late Omwenga’s residence at Galana Suites. Obure claims to own and run luxury private airline company, Glo Jet International, which allegedly has offices in US and Peru.

Both Ouko and Obure were on Saturday morning (August 22) arrested and taken to Kilimani Police Station, where they are being held.

According to a report that appeared in a local daily on Sunday, Omwenga used to sell cars for a commission at a motor bazaar in Lavington between 2016 and last year, when his fortunes suddenly changed. He quit the job and moved into a house at Galana Suites, where rent is the upwards of Sh. 150,000 for a furnished apartment. He also changed friends. “Early this year, Mr Omwenga bought a brand-new Porsche Panamera, which costs at least Sh14 million. Photographs of the white car have been circulated on social media posts for some months now. There is also a video of Mr Omwenga receiving congratulatory messages on buying the car,” said a report in the Sunday Nation.

The reports says that “one set of sources says Omwenga, Bodo and Obure were at Glo Jet’s offices on the first floor for the better part of Friday. They then retreated to Mr Omwenga’s house to celebrate what detectives believe was a fake gold deal they had executed. Yet other sources point to a previous disagreement on splitting money from an alleged fake gold deal in March, where a down-payment was made by a buyer.”

A chronology of events caught on surveillance cameras revealing what happened before and after Omwenga was declared dead shows as follows:

Between 8:40pm and 9:30pm: Several people are seen arriving at Omwenga’s house.

9:39pm: Omwenga, in the company of his friends, is seen leaving his house located on the 7th floor of Galana Suites apartment on Galana Road, Kilimani.

10:35pm: Omwenga returns home in the company of a youthful woman.

10:39pm: Robert Ouko arrives at Omwenga’s home.

11:22pm: One of Omwenga’s visitors, a youthful man, is seen leaving the deceased’s house and pressing the lift button several times. He, however, fails to enter the escalator immediately.

11:24pm: Ouko sees off another visitor before returning to the deceased’s house.

11:28pm: Ouko makes several trips to the lift and back into Omwenga’s house. He appears frantic.

11:29pm: Ouko finally leaves the 7th floor of Galana Suites apartment in an escalator.

11:30pm: The building’s caretaker, a youthful man, is seen rushing to Omwenga’s house. Ouko returns around the same time before leaving again. While in the lift, he is seen whipping out from his jacket what looks like a firearm.

11:31pm: At the building’s basement, Ouko is seen hiding — in his clothes — an object that resembles a gun.

11:32pm: Ouko returns to Omwenga’s house in the company of a youthful man.

11:34pm: Ouko and the youthful man are seen carrying Omwenga in what looks like a duvet. At the same time, a lady dressed in an orange dress and black sandals leaves Omwenga’s house. (It is unclear whether the woman is the same person that Omwenga was seen with earlier in the night).

11:35pm: At the building’s ground floor, Omwenga is bundled into a waiting 5-seater car (blue in colour) and driven to hospital. Ouko and the woman in orange dress remain behind. The main suspect in Omwenga’s death, Ouko, was later seen at Nairobi Women’s Hospital.