Member of Parliament-elect for Kimilili Constituency, Didmus Barasa, has taken plea over the gruesome murder of his opponent’s aide on the eve of election day.
Mr. Barasa, who appeared before the Kakamega Law Courts today, has pleaded not guilty to charges of shooting to death Brian Odinga Olunga, a bodyguard to his opponent in the Kimilili parliamentary race, Brian Khaemba, at Chebukwabi in Kimililili, Bungoma County.
The lawmaker went into hiding after the incident that sparked public outrage and resurfaced days later at the Bungoma Police Station following a directive issued by the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti requiring him to surrender within six hours.
According to comprehensive investigations done by the Homicide branch, Digital and Cybercrime and the Forensic Crime Scene Investigations unit of the DCI at the scene of crime, Mr. Barasa is place at the center of the heinous murder.
The DCI reports that ballistic experts based at the DCI National Forensic Lab have linked Mr. Barasa’s firearm to the shot that was targeted at and killed Olunga.
“Further, a postmortem report by the government pathologist opined that the cause of death was severe head injury occasioned by a gunshot wound. During the autopsy, bullet fragments were also retrieved from the deceased’s brain.
“In order to deliver justice to the family of the victim, detectives have in their cause of investigations consolidated an avalanche of evidence that irrefutably links the suspect to the murder most foul,” an official report on the DCI Facebook page read.
Mr. Barasa is facing murder charges contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the penal code, the DCI reports.
His bond application will be determined later at 3 PM.
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