The most recent killing of DCI officer David Mayaka and the past deaths of AP sergeant Kipyegon Kenei and the kidnap and murder of Meshack Yebei. Surely what would all three killings, which shocked Kenyans, have in common? Is there really a common thread between the three?
Two of the victims were active police officers and that has to be our first clue. Why would somebody want to end the life of an officer serving the government? And a junior officer at that? A highly likely possibility would be that the low ranking officers had accidentally come across highly sensitive information that very powerful people did not want to ever leak out under any circumstance. Meshack Yebei was not a law enforcement officer but he had very sensitive information on an ICC case, including information on bribery and witness interference. It mattered little which side he was in because somebody somewhere would always consider him a loose end.
And so the common thread in all the three very unfortunate cases of Kenyans losing their lives in circumstances that have never been made clear (and are highly likely never to be shed light on) is simply that they were loose ends.
DCI Mayaka's Case
David Mayaka, a DCI officer, stopped to fix a puncture on his way home with his wife on 8th August 2023 at about 9:30pm and was gunned down by an assassin, accompanied by two other people who all arrived on one motorbike. CCTV footage captured the whole incident and it shows one of the people with the assassin holding back his wife as they shot Mayaka 3 times in the abdomen. Investigations into his death have so far yielded nothing close to a plausible motive leading to speculation that he may have been silenced because of information he had come across. This is a recurring theme in these cases where individuals seem to be targeted because they knew too much.
Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei's Case
Kipyegon Kenei, on the other hand, was an Administration Police officer attached to Deputy President William Ruto's office. His death came in the wake of the controversial arms deal scandal involving former Sports CS Rashid Echesa. Kenei was found dead in his house, a day before he was set to record a statement with the DCI on the scandal. Circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious, and many believe that he was eliminated to bury the truth.
Meshack Yebei's Case
Yebei, although not an officer, found himself in the middle of a high-stakes international case linked to the ICC. He was a key witness, and his knowledge about alleged witness tampering and bribery made him a significant figure. His death, therefore, raised eyebrows, with many speculating that his murder was designed to suppress critical evidence.
Are these deaths linked? All three victims possessed sensitive information that would have been damaging to powerful individuals. It is not a far stretch to see how they could have been targeted to prevent crucial details from surfacing.
While it is vital to avoid jumping to conclusions without concrete evidence, it is equally crucial for the authorities to conduct thorough investigations to bring the killers to justice and give the families of the victims some semblance of closure. The repeated occurrence of such cases only serves to erode public trust in the security apparatus.
Conclusion
So, whether or not these cases are linked, one thing is undeniable - the victims were all "loose ends" who, unfortunately, found themselves tangled in webs of treachery and deceit. Their stories, though tragic, serve as a stark reminder of the dangers that come with possessing sensitive information that could undermine powerful entities.
Watch the videos on the playlist above to clearly identify the common thread in all the cases and at least 2 others mentioned in passing.
