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Court detains bar owner for seven more days over wife’s shooting


The owner of a popular nightspot in Nairobi’s Buru Buru estate who is suspected to have shot dead his wife will spend another seven days in custody before a decision is made whether he may be charged with murder.

On Monday, Mr Erastus Odhiambo, a licensed firearms holder, was taken before a magistrate at the Makadara Law courts where police filed an affidavit for the request for additional days to complete the probe.

Mr Odhiambo is suspected of killing his second wife Ms Linda Wanjiku, a lawyer, on Thursday night outside their home in Buru Buru.

REASONABLE

“I have noted the offence that is being investigated and I am satisfied that the period sought is reasonable in the circumstances, the application is thus allowed and you will be remanded at the Buru Buru police station for seven days,” acting chief magistrate Eunice Nyutu ruled.

The magistrate also declined a counter request by the suspect for “lesser days” in detention.

In the affidavit sworn by a homicide investigator, the police want a mental examination conducted on the suspect and have him moved to the Mathari Hospital for an appointment.

They also want to record further statements from witnesses who were the couple’s neighbours, a watchman who was on duty on the fateful day and relatives of Ms Wanjiku who were present during her autopsy.

She worked as an investments lawyer before her demise at around 4.30am on December 12.

Mr Odhiambo returns to the court on December 23 for further directions before the case file is taken to the DPP for analysis and approval before he is formally charged over the Jamhuri Day incident.

If he is charged with murder, he may appear before the High Court on December 24.

A lawyer said the outcome of the investigation may either form the basis of a murder trial or manslaughter and that the suspect may take “provocation” or “drunkenness” as his lines of defence.

SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE

According to reports, the couple had an altercation before the husband whipped out a gun and allegedly shot his wife at close range.

Ms Wanjiku’s kin thronged the courtroom yesterday to follow the brief proceedings led by an uncle, Mr Mutale Emmanuel.

“We are investigating a case of murder and I have sworn an affidavit in which I request for more time for profiling…” Mr Charles Omondi, the investigating officer told the court.

According to press reports, neighbours who witnessed the incident said they heard a gunshot after a heated argument between the couple.

They later saw the lawyer sprawled on the ground when her relatives arrived to take her to hospital and that Mr Odhiambo had tried to block the deceased’s father and brother from accessing the compound.

She was later rushed her to Jamaa Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The police arrested the suspect from his house at around 10 a.m. last Friday and took him to Buru Buru Police Station for questioning.

By then, police said they were “yet to establish what happened and that investigations into death had commenced”.