I am a victim, Aisha Jumwa’s former aide tells court in murder trial
Geoffrey Otieno Okuto, who is charged with the murder of an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporter during a by-election in Malindi, narrated to the court how he tried to dissuade former Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa from invading the party’s strategy meeting in 2019.
Mr Okuto, formerly Ms Jumwa’s aide, told Justice Wendy Micheni that his pleas for the former legislator to reconsider her decision fell on deaf ears, as she insisted on storming the meeting.
“Ms Jumwa told me we should go to Ganda Ward. I asked her why, but she simply said, ‘Let’s go.’ When I pressed further, she claimed I was resisting because I am a Luo and, therefore, aligned with ODM ideologically,” he recounted while being guided by his advocate, Jared Magolo.
Mr Okuto was charged with the murder of Jola Ngumbao. He is alleged to have committed the offence on October 15, 2019, in Ganda Ward, Kilifi County.
During the hearing, the court was told that Mr Okuto fired the bullet that killed Mr Ngumbao.
He was placed on his defence after the court reviewed evidence from 12 witnesses and determined that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.
Mr Okuto was, therefore, required to explain his whereabouts during the fracas and whether his firearm discharged the bullet that resulted in Mr Ngumbao’s death.
Defending himself in the murder case on Tuesday, Mr Okuto stated that he advised the former CS against attending the meeting, as it was not her event. However, she dismissed his concerns, telling him he did not understand the local political dynamics.
“She ultimately got her way. We drove to Ganda in a convoy of four to five vehicles. I was the driver of our vehicle, and since I was unfamiliar with the area, she directed me to the venue. She was the MP for Malindi, and we were part of her campaign team,” he explained.
Mr Okuto further testified that Ms Jumwa had been in communication with the local police boss regarding the meeting the previous day.
According to him, one of the officers had informed her about the ODM strategy meeting taking place at the home of Reuben Katana in preparation for the Ganda Ward by-election scheduled for the following day.
Upon their arrival at the venue, they encountered a large crowd.
“I warned Ms Jumwa that it would appear as though she was invading someone else’s meeting. She became agitated, banged the vehicle’s dashboard, and told me to get out if I was not with her on this mission,” he said.
Feeling powerless to defy her, Mr Okuto continued driving into the compound. However, before he could bring the vehicle to a complete stop, Ms Jumwa alighted.
He parked near the gate as party supporters grew increasingly hostile.
“The crowd became aggressive when they saw us. Ms Jumwa walked straight into the throng. Fearing for her safety, I rushed in to pull her out,” he said.
As he attempted to rescue his then-boss, gunshots suddenly rang out as police officers at the scene fired into the air to disperse the unruly youth.
“I was armed with a Ceska pistol loaded with about 14 bullets, most of which were hollow points. I fired in the air, but there were many other gunshots as the police also opened fire,” he testified.
Despite the escalating chaos, Ms Jumwa was reluctant to leave the scene. The situation spiraled out of control as the ODM youth overpowered her team.
“I ran back to the car, realising I had left the engine running. Her supporters managed to evacuate her and brought her to the vehicle,” Mr Okuto said.
Minutes later, Ms Jumwa received a call informing her that someone had been shot dead. However, she dismissed the report.
“She said it was hogwash,” Mr Okuto recalled.
Following the incident, Ms Jumwa decided to report the matter at Malindi Police Station. Upon arrival, she instructed Mr Okuto to remain in the car.
“I told her that I had also fired into the air and should make a statement, but she insisted I should not step out of the vehicle. So, while she and her bodyguards went inside to file the report, I stayed in the car,” he narrated.
About 10 minutes later, they left for the former legislator’s residence at around 7 pm. However, at midnight, three police Land Cruisers arrived at the compound.
“Ms Jumwa ordered that the gate should not be opened, but the police eventually gained access. I do not know whether they broke in or if someone let them in,” he said.
Both were arrested and escorted to Mombasa, where they were charged with the murder of Ngumbao, the ODM supporter who had been at Mr Katana’s home when the attack occurred.
However, the charges against Ms Jumwa were dropped after President William Ruto appointed her to his Cabinet as Gender and Public Service Cabinet Secretary.
The prosecution informed the court that upon reviewing the evidence, it was established that Ms Jumwa was not implicated in the murder of Mr Ngumbao.
This left Mr Okuto to face the murder charge alone.
“I did not shoot the deceased. There is no way the police would have failed to recover the bullet head from the body if I had,” he stated during cross-examination by State Counsel Ngiri Wangui.
He maintained that ballistic expert reports proved that the fatal shot had been fired by someone who was either kneeling or lying down.
“I was standing upright when I fired in the air. I deny the offence. I did not know the deceased and cannot tell where he was in relation to where I fired the bullet,” he concluded, adding that he had legally acquired his firearm in 2015.
However, the court heard that the suspect, while in the company of Ms Jumwa, stormed the homestead of Mr Katana, where the ODM agents were holding a meeting, and started shooting.
The forensic report tabled in court alleged that Mr Okuto could have fired the bullet that killed the deceased.
“Ngumbao was shot by another, and that other person, based on the forensic findings coupled with the circumstances surrounding the shooting event, indicates that Mr Okuto was the shooter of the deceased,” a forensic crime scene investigator told the court.
The court also heard that the deceased’s clothing was examined visually around the suspected bullet hole on October 19, 2019, at Malindi Sub-County Hospital during the autopsy.
During the autopsy, the court heard that the pathologist observed that the heart, liver, and lungs had been perforated while the right lung was bruised.
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