Drugged and murdered? Last moments of Tom Osinde revealed
The decomposing body of the former Treasury official was recovered from River Kuja in Migori County where his family, led by Enock Nemwel Osinde, a brother of the deceased, positively identified it.
Fresh details have emerged of how former Treasury official Tom Fred Mokaya Osinde may have been drugged and driven from his swanky home in Nakuru to Kisii, where his assailant(s) killed him.
Osinde's decomposing body was retrieved from River Kuja in Migori County, where his family, led by Enock Nemwel Osinde, a brother of the deceased, positively identified it.
“Thank you, friends, for your outpouring of love, prayers, and support during my brother's search. Unfortunately, the outcome isn't the one we anticipated. Tom was killed, and his body was found in Migori County. Please continue praying for us as we try to come to terms,” said Nemwel.
This brings to an end the nearly two-week search for Osinde.
Detectives investigating his death have revealed that before Osinde went missing, his black Land Cruiser V8 was seen leaving his home in Ngata in Nakuru on June 18 but was driven by a "mystery person."
"We are following crucial leads to trace his last moments before he met his death. On June 18, Osinde’s Land Cruiser V8 was seen leaving his residence at the posh Ngata estate, but it was not being driven by the owner. Behind the wheels was a mysterious person," revealed a senior detective involved in the investigation into the disappearance and death.
"We are so far treating Osinde’s employee, Julius Mogoi, as the prime suspect in the death. We are also trying to identify other suspects involved in the killing of the former Treasury official," the senior detective added.
The story was corroborated by boda boda riders who operate at a trading center near Osinde’s Ngata home.
"On the day he is said to have gone missing and his phone was switched off, I saw his vehicle leaving his house, but he was not the one driving it. It was being driven by a strange person. We are used to him because he used to greet us whenever he left his house. That day he did not," a boda boda operator revealed.
On Wednesday, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested two workers, including Mr. Mogoi, at his home in Ngata, Nakuru County, as they intensified the search and investigation into his disappearance.
10-acre farm
At the same time, detectives, mainly from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), spent more than four hours searching and questioning workers at the house, which is located on a 10-acre farm.
A vehicle belonging to missing former Treasury official Fred Tom Mokaya Osinde (inset) was been positively identified by his family at Kilgoris police station in Narok County.
"We conducted a thorough search of part of the sprawling 10-acre farm where Osinde's residence is located as part of efforts to trace his whereabouts as part of investigations into the disappearance of the former Treasury official," Rongai Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer Donatta Atieno revealed after the exercise on Wednesday night.
"We have also questioned workers at the home and arrested two of them to further assist in the investigation. They are currently being held at Menengai Police Station. So far, we are following crucial leads and we are making great progress in the investigation," Ms Atieno added.
She revealed that the detained suspects were being investigated for the offence of kidnapping and were taken to court on Wednesday evening where the police applied for a remand order. They were given 21 days to complete the investigation before being taken back to court.
By Wednesday, detectives had also seized more than five mobile phones from the staff who were present when he went missing.
According to detectives, the phones have since been taken for forensic analysis to establish their communications with their boss, Osinde, to determine if they were involved in his disappearance and eventual murder.
Ms Atieno also revealed that they had noticed that two electricity switches in the upper staircase of his Ngata home had been vandalised and police were trying to establish whether they were vandalised before or after he went missing.
Ambassador Ken Osinde
Osinde's mobile phone has been disconnected since he went missing. Osinde is a brother of the late Ambassador Ken Osinde, the former Chief of Staff in the Office of Deputy President (now President) William Ruto.
Ken Osinde, the former chief of staff in the office of then Deputy President William Ruto (now president) who died in October 2021 while receiving treatment in Nairobi.
Ken also served as Kenya's Ambassador to Germany from 2010 to 2014, before becoming Chief of Staff at Harambee House Annex.
He died in a Nairobi hospital in October 2021 after a brief illness.
In a bid to trace Osinde's whereabouts, detectives also revealed that they had extended the search to his homes in Ngata and Nyamira.
At the time Osinde went missing, his family said he was expected to travel from his Ngata residence in Nakuru to his rural home in Borabu, Nyamira County.
Detectives now suspect that Mr Mogoi, who is now in police custody and arrived at their home in South Mugirango, Kisii County on the night of Sunday 18 June, may have been involved in his death.
Detectives believe Osinde was killed somewhere in Kisii County before his body was dumped in River Kuja.
It is worth noting that River Kuja, also known as River Gucha, rises in the highlands of Kiabonyoru in Nyamira County and flows through several parts of Kisii County before entering Migori County. From there it flows directly into Lake Victoria.
In Kisii County, it splits at a place called Mogonga and forms another river known as Mogonga River.
The Mogonga and Kuja rivers merge a mile later before flowing towards Ogembo in Kisii County.
Mr Mogoi is believed to have driven to his home in Nyakeo, South Mugirango, Kisii County. He arrived at his home late at night.
This was the first time the suspect had been seen at the house in three years when he fled after another incident.
The Nation has established that Mr Mogoi is also a suspect in another murder that took place years ago.
It is not clear how he secured his freedom before leaving Kisii to work at Osinde's Ngata home.
Over 210 kilometres
The distance between Ngata in Nakuru County, where Osinde lived, and Nyakeo is just over 210 kilometres.
Mr Mogoi, who is currently being questioned by detectives attached to the DCI, was until last night being treated as a kidnapping suspect, but police have now opened a murder case.
The Nation understands that Osinde's car will undergo forensic tests to establish who was the last person to handle it.
A detective told these writers that when the vehicle was abandoned in Trans Mara West in the Kilgoris area, an attempt was made to set it on fire but it failed.
The person who abandoned the vehicle there, who investigators believe is one of the suspects, removed the vehicle's number plates before fleeing.
On the same day, Mr Mogoi returned to Ngata where he worked as a farm labourer and went about his normal duties until he was picked up by detectives in Nakuru on Wednesday.
On 22 June, a vandalised black Land Cruiser LC300 belonging to Osinde was found abandoned at IIpashire along the Sikawa-Enoosaen road in Trans Mara West, Narok County.
The vehicle's number plates, battery and radio were missing, indicating that it had been vandalised.
Some documents were also found in the car and are now being used by detectives in the ongoing investigation to trace his whereabouts.
Trans Mara West Sub-County Police Commander Jamlek Ngaruiya said the car was found abandoned by the roadside, almost five days after Osinde was reported missing.
He said members of the public informed police that the vehicle was abandoned by the roadside.
The missing Osinde attended the University of Nairobi, where he studied economics.
After graduating, he spent years working for the Ministry of Finance.
Known for his expertise in financial management, he recently retired from the Treasury before venturing into business.
