A Court has granted 14 days detention order for the suspect implicated in the brutal shooting of Ida Odinga’s bodyguard.
Collins Okundi, the suspect, was arraigned in a Kisumu Magistrates Court but did not enter a plea.
This comes after the prosecution in the case requested more time to complete investigations and record statements from a witness who was present at the crime scene.
While appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Stela Telewa, the prosecutor in charge, John Oyimbo, stated that the suspect was apprehended in Eldoret on Sunday after being on the run for three days.
He told the court that Okundi was driven to Kisumu by police on Monday morning and that the DCI in charge of the case in Kisumu did not have time to conduct any investigations.
“I would like to state before this court that the suspect Okundi was brought to Kisumu this morning and the DCI in Kisumu has yet to launch any investigation,” he said.
The prosecutor also informed the court that the deceased in the case was the bodyguard of the wife of Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga, implying that the respondent’s life is in danger and his security may not be guaranteed if he is released.
“Statement of the witness at the scene have not been recorded. The individual who was at the scene who was shot was flown to Aga Khan in Nairobi for specialized treatment,” said the prosecutor.
According to the prosecution, the time requested will allow them to conduct a forensic analysis of the firearm used.
“We ask the court grant us the 14 days to enable the DCI conclusively investigate the matter to allow the respondent to be charged accordingly”. Said the prosecution.
Prosecutor Mina Opiyo noted that the release of the respondent would jeopardize the investigation.
The suspect, on the other hand, made no objection to the application to detain him for 14 days.
He informed the court that he was ill and had a problem with his teeth and right wrist, and he requested that he be taken to the hospital for treatment.
“I have a problem with my teeth and right wrist too. I would like to be taken to hospital for treatment”. Said the suspect.
He did not, however, explain how he sustained the injuries he claimed in court.
The court granted his request to be taken for a medical examination. The magistrate ordered him to see a dentist and a doctor for treatment.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 31, 2022, for the hearing of his case.
