A Kisumu court has granted police permission to remand for 14 days two suspects accused of killing a 22-year-old woman on Monday.
The detention will allow detectives at Kondele Police Station to complete investigations into the death of Vince Juma, who was allegedly pushed to her death from the second floor of a rented flat in Lolwe Estate, Kisumu.
The ruling followed a miscellaneous criminal application filed by Naboth Otieno Ondoro, an investigator attached to DCI Kondele Police Station.
He listed the two suspects, Cecil Wilson Omondi and Ashley Jemima Atieno, as first and second respondents respectively.
According to the officer, the two suspects, who are lovers, were arrested on May 28, 2024, after police discovered that they could be involved in the murder of Vince, which happened around 10pm on the material day.
The block of flats in Lolwe estate, Kisumu, from which 22-year-old Vince Juma reportedly fell during a confrontation with a man believed to be her ex-boyfriend.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
"If the accused are detained at Kondele Police Station, they will assist us in establishing the cause of death of Vince Juma. The lives of the accused are also at risk and if they are released immediately, they could be harmed as members of the public are still agitated by their (alleged) actions," said Mr Ondoro.
Jeopardise the investigation
The officer also argued that the suspects posed a flight risk and that releasing them on bail would jeopardise the investigation.
A post-mortem examination to determine the true cause of Vince's death is yet to be conducted and therefore investigators want more time to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
The case came before Winam Court Senior Principal Magistrate Robert Oanda, who ruled in favour of the detective.
"Upon reading the notice of motion application and hearing the applicant, I hereby order that the respondents be remanded at Kondele Police Station for a period of 14 days to allow DCI conclude investigations," said Mr Oanda.
Before her death, Vince allegedly confronted Mr Omondi, who is said to be her ex-boyfriend, at a local mini-mart.
According to a neighbour, Mr Omondi, 30, had gone to buy an ice cream when he met Vince, who also lives in the same area.
She insisted on accompanying Mr Omondi to his house, but he refused.
On reaching the entrance to his rented flat, Mr Omondi quickly locked the gate from the inside before the deceased could enter.
Vince, however, managed to enter the building when a neighbour unlocked the gate to go in.
Riat Institute of Advanced Technology
According to Mr Ojwang, Mr Omondi was in the house with his 20-year-old new girlfriend Ashley - a student at Riat Institute of Advanced Technology.
After a confrontation, there was a scream followed by a thud.
Mr Omondi reportedly called a taxi and rushed the injured woman to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Preliminary investigations by police indicate that she sustained severe head injuries and may have died as a result of excessive bleeding.
Investigators are trying to establish whether the deceased was pushed from the second-floor balcony of the apartment or whether she jumped to her death.
