Former Treasury official Fred Mokaya Osinde whose body was recovered from River Kuja in Migori County, and Julius Mogoi (left), the prime suspect in Osinde's murder.
In the week leading to the disappearance and subsequent discovery of former National Treasury official Tom Osinde's body, his posh home in Ngata, Nakuru County, was a beehive of activity.
On Tuesday, the High Court, which is hearing Osinde’s murder case, was told that between June 17 and 22, 2023, the period within which he was killed before being dumped into River Kuja in Nyamira County, at least seven workers were present on the property. They were engaged in construction and other domestic tasks.
Osinde’s driver Mugo Kaki, who is a witness in the murder case, testified before Judge Julius Nangeya that four Tanzanians and three locals from Kisii County were working alongside him and the prime murder suspect Julius Mogoi.
Kaki revealed that Mogoi had only been employed for three months to handle domestic chores, including cleaning the house, cooking and washing utensils, and would sometimes assist in the farm.
Troubling series of events
Julius Mogoi, the main suspect in the murder of former Treasury official Tom Osinde
Kaki’s account in court detailed a troubling series of events leading up to Osinde's murder and transportation of his body using his vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser LC300.
On June 17, Mogoi went missing for a significant part of the day only to return in the evening, claiming he had been with his lover.
This raised concerns for Kaki who noted that Osinde had been searching for Mogoi during his absence.
“Julius appeared from the main gate and asked if I had given the livestock feeds. He told me he had gone with his lover. We took the wheelbarrow and went,” said Kaki.
The following day on June 18, Mogoi asked Kaki to help him with his duties, indicating that he was supposed to accompany Osinde on a trip.
The accused prepared meals for both himself and Kaki, according to the witness.
The driver said it was while he was eating that he heard the sound of Osinde's vehicle running, which piqued his curiosity, though he did not investigate further at that time.
“It was at around 1pm and I heard the way the car started sounded weird, like it was on a race. I continued with my work. I was supposed to open the gate so I waited but the car never passed through my way. At around 4 pm, I went to see the parking lot but I did not find the car and neither Julius nor Osinde were in the vicinity,” said Kaki.
Concerned, he followed the vehicle's tracks but found the back gate securely closed.
That evening while attempting to activate the security lights, Kaki discovered they had been disconnected, a detail that added to his growing unease.
The following day, home manager Jacob Juma arrived and also found the security system tampered with and by this time, Osinde's family had begun to worry.
Mogoi went missing for four days until Thursday June 22, 2023 when he resurfaced at the compound and informed Atandi (Osinde’s son) of his father’s vehicle being circulated online.
“I started to interrogate him regarding the rumours I had heard about him disappearing with the boss. When I asked him, he said he had been sent by Mr Osinde to deliver Sh450,000 to a woman in Kericho and he was given Sh2,500 as his fare,” said the witness who added that the suspect told him Osinde had left for Nairobi.
According to the witness, the accused declined to sleep in the main house, citing fears of being killed by a certain unknown woman and requested Kaki to allow him to sleep in his servant quarter, which he did.
The following day, however, the police arrived at the compound to interrogate them over Osinde’s disappearance.
Kaki was arrested alongside Mogoi on a Sunday and arraigned the following day where police requested for 14 days to conclude investigations.
He was, however, released by the police after investigations failed to link him to the killing as Mogoi was charged with Osinde’s murder.
Atandi, who also testified, said he learned of his father’s disappearance from social media when a friend sent him a photo of his father’s vehicle via WhatsApp.
“On June 20, 2023 at around 9pm, I received a message from my neighbour called Eveline asking where my dad was. At the time, I had not spoken to him and on June 21, I tried to call him but he was unreachable. That same night I received an alert message at around 11pm. Given that it was night, I decided to call him in the morning,” said Atandi.
He identified the vehicle and travelled to Nakuru alongside his sister and reported at Ngata Police Station after they discovered inconsistencies in Mogoi’s statements regarding their father’s whereabouts.
Atandi testified that according to Mogoi, Osinde had supposedly given him four days of leave and entrusted him with the house keys, both of which Atandi found highly questionable.
Mogoi's insistence that Osinde had exited through the back gate also raised suspicions.
Atandi told the court he began to compile a list of missing items including electronics and tools, and communicated his findings to the police.
This included significant belongings like a 32-inch television and other household goods.
“I went to Salgaa Police station and explained to them what we had noticed was missing in the house such as a 32-inch TV, Sony movie theatre, radio, power saw, welding machine and inflatable mattress, overall, beddings, gumboots, kitchen items, among other things,” he said.
Atandi was able to identify his father’s body by a wedding ring that had a date on it and remained on his finger.
Police investigating the case found blood traces in the kitchen and entertainment room of Osinde's house.
This evidence prompted them to take immediate action against Mogoi.
The 30-year-old suspect was arrested on June 28 at his home in Nyakeyo Village, Kisii County.
On July 31, Mogoi was charged with the killing Osinde in Ngata on the night of June 17 and 18, an accusation he denied.
The hearing is set to continue on February 6 and 11, 2025.
Osinde was a brother to the late ambassador Ken Osinde, the former chief of staff in the Office of then-Deputy President William Ruto, now president.
