This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 16, 2019, the body of Court of Appeal Judge James Otieno Aggrey Odek was discovered in his Nairobi apartment, sparking a death probe by detectives.
Investigations revealed that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Groovehut apartments, where the judge lived, had been dysfunctional for a week prior to the discovery of the body.
A clash emerged between the caretaker, Mr. William Nyandara, and criminal investigations officers over the state of the CCTV at the time of the judge's death.
Mr. Nyandara stated that the CCTV cameras had been malfunctioning for some time, but he had ordered the manager to have them repaired by electricians from Nairobi. However, he learned on Monday morning that the repairs had not been done.
Detained investigators claimed to have reviewed the CCTV footage, stating that there was nothing unusual.
Prof. Odek's driver had attempted to reach him in vain, prompting the Kisumu Law Courts staff and the Kisumu Central Police Station OCS to visit the apartments.
They accessed the judge's house with the help of the caretaker by breaking in, finding the judge's naked body on his bed with blood-stained bed sheets.
According to Nyanza Regional Criminal Investigations Officer James Kipsoi, they had reviewed the CCTV footage and found nothing suspicious.
They were now relying on the outcome of the postmortem to guide further investigations.
It's too early to allege any foul play in the death of the judge, said Mr. Kipsoi, adding that there were no signs of a struggle in the house.
Dr. Vincent Makokha, the Nyanza Regional Police Commander, confirmed that they had recorded statements from both the night and day security guards on the judge's last movements.
However, he did not disclose details of their findings, stating that the autopsy would shed light on the judge's death.
Investigators also collected all the judge's phones, which are still being analyzed for any suspicious calls or messages.
Two meetings are being held by the families in Nairobi and in Kisumu to determine when the postmortem will be done and the burial date.
The Law Society of Kenya expressed shock at the judge's death, describing him as kind, gentle, and respectful.
