By Were Kelly
RONGO, MIGORI COUNTY – June 13, 2025 — The Rongo Magistrate Court has issued arrest warrants for four individuals, including two directors of the St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Limited Church, after they failed to appear in court to face charges related to the suspicious death and burial of a police officer.
Principal Magistrate Susan Mutava ordered the arrest of Michael Kus Onyango, Luka Ochieng, Everline Gemamo, and Lilian Atieno Olal following their absence from court proceedings on Thursday.
The warrants were requested by Prosecuting Counsel Juliet Ombogo and promptly granted.
The suspects had previously been ordered to remain in custody at Kamagambo Police Station for a 21-day period to allow police to conduct investigations into the death and subsequent burial of Police Constable Adan Ayoo, a member of the General Service Unit (GSU), on the church premises.
The probe also includes an assessment of the church’s compliance with the Public Health Act.
However, the accused individuals challenged the magistrate court’s ruling at the Migori High Court, prompting further legal maneuvering.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has filed a separate application seeking court approval to exhume the body of Constable Ayoo.
The officer reportedly died on March 27, 2025, under unclear circumstances and was buried the following day—March 28—within the church compound, allegedly without the consent or knowledge of his family or employer.
The ODPP is pushing for an autopsy to be conducted at Migori County Referral Hospital to establish the exact cause of death.
The case is scheduled for mention on July 3, 2025, as legal and investigative proceedings continue to unfold around the controversial case that has drawn both public and institutional scrutiny.
