Kenei murder probe: DCI identifies 9 persons of interest

Homicide detectives probing the death of sergeant Kipyegon Kenei have identified nine persons of interest to be interrogated and possibly arraigned for murder.

Highly placed sources within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations confirmed that detectives are now pursuing various leads pointing in the direction of the motive and manner of the murder of Sgt. Kenei who worked at Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annex office.

The nine include, four from the office of the deputy president, three from the Department of Defence and two from a mobile operating company, said to have taken part in erasing data from Kenei’s phone.

Depending on the kind of information they give detectives, they could end up being accused persons or witnesses in the murder of the administration police officer. Their names and positions are still withheld.

Kenei, who was buried on Saturday, was found dead on February 20, 2020 in his house Imara Daima area in Nairobi, just as he prepared to record a statement with the DCI on what he knew about the fictitious Ksh.39 billion tender said to have been signed at Harambee House Annex.

In the hazy lead up to the killing of Kenei, suspicious activities captured on security surveillance cameras showed former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and three others being escorted by Kenei along the corridors and lift area of the DP’s office.

Echesa was among four people arrested shortly after leaving the DP’s office following an intelligence alert to the serious crimes investigation officers.

Initial reports including the earliest version from the Embakasi Police Station had alleged Kenei committed suicide. But that was ruled out when the DCI investigators established that kenei had not taken his own life.

Detectives from the DCI say there was a direct link between activities around a purported military equipment tender and the killing of Kenei.

That link is the subject of the interrogation of nine people believed to have interacted with Kenei in the lead up to his death.