Ex-Gor player Okoth to spend 21 more days in custody over defilement and murder charges

Former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars midfielder Collins ‘Gattuso’ Okoth will spend 21 more days in police custody, after he was charged with defilement and murder of a 3-year-old baby in Lucky Summer Estate in Ruaraka Sub-County, Nairobi County.

Okoth appeared before the Makadara Law Courts, and charged with committing the offence on the night of April 22, 2024, when the child’s mother had allegedly stepped out of their rental house.

Part of the charges read, “On 22104/2024 it was reported at Lucky Summer Police Station Vide OB No. 7/22/04/2024 through Assistant Chief Lucky Summer one Peris Muthoni that there was a body of unknown Juvenile suspected to have been murdered and dumped.”

The court heard that police found the body behind the building where the deceased lived with her mother and her friend, and was half-naked with bruises on the neck.

The Court granted the prosecution orders to detain the suspect for 21 days to complete investigations, with the accused not objecting to the prayer.

The Court directed that Okoth be escorted to the Government Chemist for DNA samples, and also taken to Mathare Mental Teaching and Referral Hospital for mental assessment, before June 3, 2024 when the case will be mentioned.

According to her mother Beatrice Awuor, she left her 3-year-old daughter at around 1 am on April 22, and upon return at around 4 am, she did not find her daughter in the house.

The investigating officer PC Gilbert Kiprotich says in a sworn affidavit, that they recovered a weapon suspected to have been used to break into the house, and that the suspect had started packing his belongings, allegedly trying to flee from the scene of crime.

Okoth joined Gor Mahia in 2010 from Tusker FC, before moving to AFC Leopards in 2018.

Just a day before the crime was reported, ‘Gattuso’ was part of TV analysts during the Mashemeji derby at the Nyayo National Stadium last weekend.

The former player is being held at Pangani Police Station, as the DCI continues combing through evidence to present before the court when the hearing begins.