A Siaya High Court has found a businessman guilty of murdering his own brother in a case linked to an alleged family and business rivalry that had gripped the county for nearly three years.
Justice David Kemei convicted Vincent Ochieng and his co-accused, Chrispine Kennedy Awambo, of the murder of Jared Ongoro after finding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The two had been charged with murder contrary to Sections 203 and 204 of the Penal Code. The prosecution told the court that on September 4, 2023, at River Nzoia Bridge in Siranga sub-location, Siaya County, the two, jointly with others not before the court, planned and murdered Ongoro.
In his judgment, Justice Kemei said the prosecution, led by Joyce Mumo, presented seven witnesses whose evidence placed Awambo at the scene of the crime and linked Ochieng to planning and organising the killing of his brother.
The judge said a major breakthrough in the investigations came after boda boda rider Michael Omondi was arrested in possession of the deceased's mobile phone days after the murder.
Omondi, who was initially charged with robbery with violence before becoming a prosecution witness, testified that Awambo hired him on the evening of September 4, 2023, to ferry him to a funeral in Siranga before directing him to River Nzoia Bridge, where Ongoro was killed.
He told the court that after the murder, Awambo instructed him to ride him back to Siriwo Business Complex, owned by Ochieng, where he allegedly paid him Sh1,000 for the transport services before warning him against disclosing what he had witnessed.
Omondi further testified that the following day Awambo borrowed Sh1,000 from him and left behind a mobile phone as security. He inserted his SIM card into the handset and used it for about two weeks before detectives tracked the phone and arrested him.
The court also heard that before the murder, Ongoro and Ochieng, both successful businessmen, had a strained relationship and had previously reported each other to police over their differences, providing the prosecution with evidence of an existing family and business dispute.
Justice Kemei ruled that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder against both accused beyond reasonable doubt and convicted them accordingly. He directed that they remain in custody pending sentencing on July 3, 2026.
The judgment, delivered in a packed courtroom filled with members of the Ongoro family, drew mixed reactions. While some relatives appeared dissatisfied with aspects of the proceedings, others welcomed the verdict, saying justice had finally been served.
John Fabian, a brother of the deceased who was with Ongoro shortly before the killing, thanked the court for delivering justice.
Another brother, Fredrick Ochieng, said the family had waited for nearly two years for the verdict and expressed hope that the court would impose an appropriate sentence.
Ongoro's widow, Judith Anyango, welcomed the conviction, saying her children had long waited for justice over the killing of their father and were relieved that the court had finally held those responsible accountable.
