On the evening of June 20, 2022, a group of five men met near Kingdom Seekers Fellowship Church in Bondeni, Nakuru City, to plan a deadly mission.
Under the cover of darkness, Evans Michori, Kevin Omondi, Josphat Simiyu, Julius Otieno, Dennis Alusiola, and Isaac Kinyanjui, suspected members of the notorious Confirm gang, huddled together, their whispers barely audible.
They were planning to execute a mission of terror that would strike fear into the hearts of the unsuspecting residents of Mawanga estate.
Michori was the mastermind, according to his confession. The five met while working at a construction site in the lakeside city.
They are facing charges ranging from murder and rape to robbery and arson, all stemming from their alleged involvement in the atrocities committed in Mawanga two years ago.
Initially, Michori and his co-accused vehemently denied all charges levelled against them in court, including their involvement in the deaths of Susan Wambui (38), Diana Opicho (23), Beatrice Akinyi (21), Judy Nyambura (40), Shadiah Cheupe (17), and Rimsy Wanjiru (11).
Nation has acquired Michori’s signed confession after the Nakuru High Court granted the prosecution permission to enter into a plea bargain with the main suspect, who alongside his alleged accomplices have been charged with the murders carried out in Bahati Constituency between December 2021 and June 2022.
In the confession dated March 14 and which has been deposited in court, Michori says their target was Susan Wambui, who lived in a modest home adjacent to her small shop.
After the June 20 meeting, the following morning, Michori and his accomplices reconvened at Makaburini area before embarking on their sinister mission.
According to Michori, Wambui had been identified by Omondi.
The gang rode on motorbikes to Mawanga and, upon reaching the targeted residence, Dennis conducted a quick reconnaissance and confirmed that Wambui was in the sitting room together with her child, who was asleep.
Dennis was then told to distract the woman by pretending to buy something in the shop while the rest of the gang gained access to the house by jumping over the wall at the back of the house.
“Simiyu entered the shop. He was armed with a Maasai sword and [Wambui] got scared. Kevin entered the shop from the front and closed the door. He asked [Wambui] for money and she said she would look for some," says Michori in his confession.
Meanwhile, Michori, along with Julius and Dennis, also gained access to the house. He said Simiyu went into the cash box and grabbed all the money.
He said Kevin dragged the woman into her bedroom. It is not clear whether or not Kevin raped Wambui before he called Julius as he left the room.
Michori, along with Julius and Dennis, went to the bedroom and found Wambui lying on the floor.
"Dennis and Kinyanjui lifted the body of the defenceless woman and put it on the bed. Kevin brought in petrol and poured it inside the bedroom and the sitting room where the child was sleeping," stated Michori.
He said Kevin asked him to kill the sleeping child but he declined.
“Kevin lit the match as we fled the house leaving the two inside,” Michori said.
The gang also stole a 32-inch TV from the house.
Neighbours, alerted by the smoke and the child's cries, rushed to the scene and broke the padlock to rescue the child and extinguish the flames.
Wambui was rushed to Mediheal Hospital where she was declared dead. A post-mortem conducted on June 24 revealed that she died from strangulation.
The police traced Michori to his rural home in Kisii where he was hiding before he revealed his accomplices.
They were charged with the offences on August 2, 2022. The cases are ongoing.
