Revealed: Why Kevin Otieno's family fears going back to the morgue
The late Kevin Odhiambo (right) and his brother Alfred Odhiambo. Kevin was shot dead while his brother Alfred was abducted and is yet to be traced.
The family of Kevin Otieno, who was shot 36 times in Mihang’o, Utawala in Nairobi County last month, went to the City Mortuary only once – to view the body – and has never gone back, the Nation can now reveal.
Investigations reveal the police officers who took Otieno’s body to the mortuary on September 23, 2022, filed his identity as unknown and indicated the cause of death as shooting/murder.
A report indicating that the deceased was murdered through shooting means he was killed by unknown people.
A screengrab from the video showing the execution of Kevin Otieno in Mihang’o, Nairobi County on September 23, 2022.
The Nation has established that a day after the body was taken to the morgue, his relatives identified the deceased and the details entered in the records were changed from ‘unknown’ to ‘Kevin Opinya Otieno’.
It remains unclear why the family members have never returned to the morgue, 19 days later.
Read: Exclusive: Horror moment 'gunmen' pumped in 36 bullets into Kevin Otieno
A close family member said the circumstances that led to his death had left the family shaken.
The relative said they feared that the gunmen who killed Otieno might go after more people, as they had even abducted his brother, Mr Alfred Odhiambo, early the same day Otieno was killed.
Spoke in confidence
“It is hard for the family to make a move because the gunmen first started by picking up his brother and now everybody fears that if they keep on going to the morgue, the gunmen might go after them,” said the family member who spoke in confidence due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Otieno, according to his close allies and family members, became a person of interest after participating in the burial plans for Joseph Ng’endo Njau, who was eyeing the Njiru ward seat on a Jubilee ticket and whose body was dumped in Kijabe forest on June 19, 2022, alongside those of the “Kasarani three” – Frank Obegi, Elijah Omeke and Moses Nyachae.
Top row: Elijah Omeka, Fred Obare and Moses Nyachae. Bottom row: Frank Obegi, Joseph Njau and Alfred Odhiambo
Otieno and Njau were close friends.
When Njau’s body was taken to the City Mortuary on Monday, June 20, 2022, his close friends and associates said they were horrified at what they saw.
The body had been badly mutilated and they suspected that he had been tortured before being killed in cold blood.
It is also believed that Otieno became a wanted man when he transferred Njau’s body from the City Mortuary to Montezuma Funeral Home on Mbagathi way.
In 2019, Njau had been arrested after being found in possession of five kilogrammes of heroin.
He was seized in Westlands, Nairobi, after returning from a trip to Kampala, Uganda.
Police said he had gone to Kampala to procure the drugs, which he had hidden inside papayas.
Mr Joseph Njau Ngendo after his arrest in February 2019 with drugs haul in pawpaws.
Police, who said Njau was part of a larger heroin distribution network in Nairobi, believe he procured the narcotics from a Nigerian who is based in Kampala.
Frequent traveller to Uganda
They also said Njau was a frequent traveller to Uganda through the Busia border, adding that he often bought drugs in the neighbouring country and sold them to users in Nairobi.
At the time of his death in June this year, he had an ongoing case at a Jomo Kenyatta International Airport court.
“In early February 2019, [Njau] made two other trips to Uganda, where he is suspected to have hammered a deal with his Nigerian drug associates,” police said in a report filed back then.Njau, the authorities say, would cover up his drug-dealing activities in legitimate business and charity work.
“When not dealing drugs [Njau] works part-time as an anti-drug abuse campaigner. He regularly visits schools and social gatherings to give talks against drug abuse,” the report further read.
Otieno was shot dead in broad daylight by gunmen who arrived in two motor vehicles – a white Toyota Land Cruiser and a grey double-cabin Toyota Hilux – in Utawala.
Earlier that day, Otieno’s killers, who are believed to be part of a ruthless hit squad, had also picked up his brother Odhiambo and Otieno’s lover, Ms Evelyne Nduku.
