Murder on Facebook: Cop’s tragic confession
At around 4.30 p.m. on Monday, Senior Sergeant Evans Onyango of the Administration Police posted a chilling message on his Facebook page: “I must do something stupid today. Liwe Liwalo. I am fed up.”
Two and a half hours later, the 36-year-old officer based at Nairobi’s Westlands AP Camp arrived at his residence in South B’s Mariakani estate and immediately picked a quarrel with his wife Janet Atieno — a fellow AP officer with whom he had five children — over a missing Sh16,000 he had given her to pay house rent for March.
“The officer drew a Ceska pistol and shot the wife four times before turning the firearm on himself. He died instantly,” Makadara OCPD Nehemiah Langat said.
His wife, who worked at the Security of Government Building unit at Uhuru Camp, suffered serious injuries on the neck, leg, shoulder, hand and abdomen and was rushed to the nearby Mariakani Cottage Hospital before she was transferred to the Kenyatta National Hospital where she is admitted.
A neighbour, Mr Peter Thuita, said he heard screams from the deceased’s house followed by multiple gunshots.
“They must have been quarrelling before the shooting. I reported the incident to the Industrial Area Police Station. Police came and found the body of the officer on the floor,” he said.
Makadara head of Criminal Investigations Department Zack Nanguli said the police found Mr Onyango’s official Ceska Pistol (Serial number 60089) loaded with seven bullets and eight spent cartridges.
Mr Nanguli said the officer must have planned to kill his wife and commit suicide and was drunk at the time of the incident.
Picked quarrel
Makadara sub-county AP boss Ishmael Njenga said the officer had sneaked out of his work station and driven home in his personal car.
“When he arrived at his house, located near South B shopping centre, he asked for Sh5,000 and his mobile phone which had been purportedly taken by his wife and an argument started,” Mr Njenga said.
Atieno in turn demanded to be refunded a share of money she contributed to buy a Toyota Premio car for the family’s use, prompting the deceased to draw the pistol and shoot her.
“When he saw the woman falling down, he knew he had killed her and it is then that he shot himself and died on the spot,” Mr Njenga added.
A neighbour, Ms Elizabeth Muema, said she heard gunshots before Atieno screamed for help as she struggled to stand up writhing in pain.