The alleged boyfriend of June Jerop Kangogo, an accountant at the National Industrial Training Authority (Nita) in Nairobi who was found murdered a fortnight ago, says she owed him Sh1 million.
Mr Jesse Wafula Walukha, in documents filed at the High Court in Nairobi, also says Kangogo was his business partner and she was avoiding queries from her colleagues at work over her lifestyle and ownership of a motor vehicle.
He wants to be released from police custody, saying there is no tangible evidence tying him to Kangogo or linking him to the murder and that he has “nothing to do with her death”.
On allegations of having a coffee date with Kangogo, an MBA student at Kenyatta University, prior to her death, he says he never met her and that he “has nothing to hide”.
Describing himself as an ICT expert and a young businessman operating in Nairobi and Bungoma, Mr Walukha says he had sold a salvaged car to Kangogo and at the time of her death last month, she owed him Sh1 million which was still paying.
Mr Walukha adds that he and Kangogo were in business and she would use his company to apply for tenders in the organisation where she worked.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Inspector-General of Police have been able to verify this position owing to the huge transactions that have been lifted from Kangogo’s phone records, he claims.
“I am also in the business of selling salvaged cars and had sold to Kangogo her motor vehicle. At the time of her passing, she still owed me about Sh1 million, which she was still paying. As such, the motor vehicle is still in my name,” says Mr Walukha in a petition filed in court by his lawyer John Swaka.
“Kangogo asked me to have the lease put in my name so that she could escape any queries being asked at work since she was earning Sh48,000 and her monthly rent was Sh30,000. The audit at her place of work would have raised eyebrows on this kind of arrangement,” he narrates in the affidavit.
Kangogo went missing on March 19, 2023, and her body was found two days later dumped near Jamhuri Primary School in Nairobi County.
Mr Walukha says he travelled to Bungoma to conduct business on March 18 and was arrested on March 23 in connection with the murder.
He wants the High Court to stay any criminal charges or proceedings instituted against him by the State, set aside the detention orders and he should be granted anticipatory bail.
Through his lawyer, he is also seeking orders stopping police from “harassing, intimidating, persecuting, arbitrarily arresting or detaining him” pending the hearing and determination of the case.
“Since my arrest on March 23, 2023, I have been in court two times and have a further mention dated for April 14. Each time the police have been to court, they have sought further time to hold me, yet no actionable evidence has been found that could warrant my arrest,” says Mr Walukha, adding that he is married and has one child.
In the court documents, he narrates that he was contacted by Kangogo on March 17, 2023, and the following day but they did not manage to talk on both occasions.
“Both times that Kangogo tried to contact the applicant, he did not manage to answer her calls. The applicant was informed of the death by the officers and he could not believe that she had passed away. Before he could even process her passing away, he was arrested,” said Mr Swaka.
“The officers have not managed to produce any shred of evidence that connects Mr Walukha to Kangogo. He has informed the officers he was in Bungoma,” said the lawyer.
According to Mr Swaka, his client was arrested with two other individuals, who were released on cash bail “yet the current investigation reports show that the police are leaning towards the suspect being an employee of where Kangogo was working”.
Mr Swaka added that CCTV footage from Kangogo’s residence does not show her with his client and that her mobile phone, which is in possession of the police officers, shows her location prior to her death.
“CCTV footage, from the residence of Kangogo, does not show her with Mr Walukha and there has been no further link that has been provided to show that she and the applicant were together at her time of death," said the lawyer.
The court papers indicate that Mr Walukha was living and working part-time in Nairobi and his main place of business and home is Bungoma.
His business is registered as Jesteque General Supplies, which is registered and trading in Bungoma and Tritech Company Limited. He also sells poles to Kenya Power and deals with construction materials. During his arrest, the graduate of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology says police took away his logbooks and electronics.
“The officers also showed up with the sister of Kangogo who is employed by Safaricom PLC. The sister to Kangogo took possession of the Wi-Fi router, asked for the password to the Wi-Fi and other details as to who pays for the Wi-Fi and even took video footage of my entire house all in the presence of the officers aforementioned who did nothing to restrain her,” he added.
He continues: “This individual was also allowed to ask me questions relating to the deceased while she is not an officer vested with such powers. The deceased person’s sister is passing along a wrong narrative to the police whose eyes are now pointed at me while I have nothing to do with the death of the deceased.”
