This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
Published on August 5, 2020, a High Court in Busia acquitted five people of murder charges in connection with the death of six bouncers in Masebula village.
The five suspects, Ronald Oduor Aduol, Caroline Atieno, Boniface Aduol, Gilbert Odhiambo, and Christine Apondi, were set free after the prosecution failed to prove its case against them.
According to the court ruling, the prosecution failed to establish that the five had planned, orchestrated, and executed the death of the bouncers on November 15, 2019.
The bouncers, William Omondi, Elvis Odoyo, Richard Oduor, David Okeyo, Evans Onyango, and Philip Kwach, were murdered in a mob attack at Masebula Primary School during a funeral event.
The bouncers had traveled from Nyando constituency in Kisumu County to provide security at the funeral of a local businessman, Johannes Okoth Aduol. One of the suspects, Caroline Atieno, was the late Okoth's first wife.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Kiarie Waweru stated that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the five were responsible for the death of the six bouncers due to the large crowd present at the funeral ceremony.
"The scene of the gruesome killing of the six people who are the subject of this case was at the football pitch of Masebula Primary School. We gather from the evidence there was a mammoth crowd of mourners," the judge said.
