Siaya family: After killing our son in cold blood, they tried to pay us Sh60,000
George Ouma, 43, who died after being attacked and beaten by three people. The autopsy report found that he died from injuries sustained in the assault.
A family in Ramula, Gem, Siaya County, is seeking justice after their relative was allegedly murdered in cold blood by people they knew and offered Sh60,000 as compensation.
The deceased, identified as George Ouma Sedekia 43, died on May 29 at the hands of three people he knew.
According to family spokesman Jotham Obiero, the deceased was allegedly taken from his friend's house on the night of May 29.
"On that night, Ouma had gone to visit one of his friends and they were chatting after dinner at the friend's house.
"Then three people, who are our main suspects, went into the house and asked him to accompany them," Mr Obiero said.
When the host asked why they were taking him out at night, they assured him that everything was fine and that they would be back soon.
The following day, May 30, Ouma's body was found dumped in the neighbourhood.
Four days later, elders from the suspects' families visited the family with Sh10,000 to initiate peace, but were turned away.
Live in peace
"The elders came and apologised, saying the death was unintentional and that they would like to live in peace. The family refused and sent them away," he said.
The same thing happened a day later when the same elders visited the family with Sh40,000.
The intention was to help the family organise the burial of the deceased, who had been an orphan living with members of his extended family until his death.
On 6 June, the elders returned with another Sh60,000 and handed over the money to the family to compensate them for the loss of their loved one.
The Nation has obtained signed minutes of the meeting in which everything was documented.
“We Horace Ongili Agina, Aggrey Ochieng Onyango, (and) Joseph Otieno with our parents have come before the Usianda clan/family to request for forgiveness, having caused the death of their son Sedekiah on Monday May 29 by beating him. We have been given a compensation of Sh60,000 (sixty thousand only),” noted part of the minutes seen by Nation.
The deceased was buried on Saturday, June 17.
A post-mortem report from the Yala Sub-County Hospital seen by Nation has established that the deceased died of “circulatory collapse secondary to extensive soft tissue injury following assault”.
Arrest suspects
The Sh60,000 that was received from the sources was used to facilitate the burial and the family now wants the police to arrest the suspects and be charged with murder.
The family of the deceased is, however, blaming the police for failing to arrest the suspects even after receiving enough evidence pointing towards them committing the heinous crime.
“I took the matter to the police at Ramula Police Post. They told me that the murder cases are handled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI). I went with three people who wrote statements, but no arrests have been made yet,” lamented Mr Obiero.
According to the spokesman, the family accepted the Sh60,000 in order to have the perpetrators acknowledge that they had caused death and be used in court as a piece of evidence.
“They killed him and have admitted to it. What is the police waiting for? The family wants justice,” he noted.
Gem sub-county Police Commander Ms Cecilia Kemboi told Nation.Africa that the case had not reached her desk.
