DCI: Lukas Ouko, visitor to Oyamo’s cell is genuine military man
Members of the public protest after police locked them out of the Homa Bay law courts where Michael Oyamo, a suspect in the killing of Ms Sharon Otieno, was arraigned on September 10, 2018. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Ouko said he had contacted his bosses in Mombasa “to handle this issue”.
- Homa Bay County DCI boss Daniel Wachira said Mr Ouko was to return to the station on Sunday but never returned.
The police have defended the man said to be a Kenya Defence Forces officer who visited chief suspect in Sharon Otieno’s murder, Michael Oyamo, at Homa Bay police station on Saturday.
Even though KDF spokesman Col Paul Njuguna denied that the military had sent Mr Lukas Ouko, 34, to Homa Bay “for any reason”, Nyanza Directorate of Criminal Investigations Chief Michael Barasa Monday said he had contacted the Department of Defence (DoD) and confirmed that Mr Oyamo was its officer.
"I have contacted the DoD which has confirmed the man was officially sent to Homa Bay since Mr Oyamo is an ex-Navy officer and he was to speak to him on certain issues," Mr Barasa said.
IMPOSTER
"Therefore, we cannot say he was an imposter. He had an official letter and Military ID that the DoD authenticated,” he added.
Earlier on Saturday, KDF spokesman Mr Njuguna had said when asked by the Nation regarding the visitor: “KDF has not dispatched a team or an individual to Homa Bay for any reason. If anyone or a group of people are purporting to be from KDF, they are fraudsters and should be reported to the police.”
Department of Defence spokesman Bogita Ongeri said Mr Njuguna was better placed to comment on the matter “since he had made an earlier communication to that effect.”
MILITARY MAN
“Kindly reach the KDF spokesman (Njuguna) he will give you an audience,” said Mr Ongeri. On Sunday, when the Nation contacted, him, Mr Ouko maintained he is a military man who was on an official mission. He insisted that he is a member of the Military Intelligence stationed at the Kenya Navy Base in Mtongwe, Mombasa.
Mr Ouko said he had contacted his bosses in Mombasa “to handle this issue”.
“I was sent officially to find out whether Mr Oyamo had made necessary clearance from the Navy which he left sometime in 2014.
“I did not discuss Sharon’s death with him. In fact I was accompanied by a police officer, Inspector Wafula and only took less than 20 minutes with Oyamo,” Mr Ouko told the Nation.
Homa Bay County DCI boss Daniel Wachira said Mr Ouko was to return to the station on Sunday but never returned.
