The police investigating the brutal murder of lawyer Robert Chesang’ believe the death is linked to a business deal gone wrong.
Chesang’, 45, was gunned down in his Moke Gardens home in Lukenya, Machakos county, on Sunday. The killers first kidnapped two guards at the main gate of the estate.
They demanded to be shown the lawyer’s house. When one of the guards refused to cooperate, his elbow was smashed with the butt of an AK-47 gun.
The police said the lawyer was involved in many land transactions. This is one of the leads they are pursuing. It could be the source of his death, they said.
Machakos county DCIO boss George Kisaka and Athi River police boss Sharma Wario said that the two seemed to have been hired to kill.
“The murder happened between 11.30am and 12.30pm. They held a guard hostage in the estate demanding he leads them to Chesang’s house,” Wario said yesterday.
“When they arrived at his compound, one knocked the door. Chesang’ peeped through the window curtains, then one of the gunmen shot him three times in the chest.”
The lawyer lived alone. His wife, a magistrate, works in Nyeri. She lives with their two children. The police found his body in a pool of blood in the living room, with documents scattered on a couch, a laptop, books and booklets strewn everywhere.
Police had to use a slender man from the estate to open the door which had been locked from inside. They also recovered seven spent cartridges — two in the house and five outside the window.
“This seems to be classic elimination using serious people, probably state operatives. He seemed to have been living in fear. Instead of opening the door, he first peeped through the window where he was shot and killed,” he said.
The attackers escaped without stealing anything, leaving the guard tied up with a rope in a corner of the compound. Wario said they had yet to establish the motive of the murder, but had not ruled out a business deal. Nobody had been arrested by the time of going to press. The body was moved to Shalom Hospital mortuary in Athi River.
It emerged yesterday that Chesang’ was arrested and charged in Mavoko last year for assaulting his wife.
The wife, Maisy Omungala, in the application, asked the court to protect her from her husband whom she claimed was violent.
The application led to a counter claim from her husband in which he claimed Maisy colluded with Athi River OCPD, OCS, deputy OCS and two individuals — Fred Too and Caroline Seet — to oppress him. Chesang’ was arraigned in Mavoko.
“Chesang’ later lodged complaints against Athi River police leadership from OCPD, OCS, deputy OCS and magistrates at the Mavoko law courts,” the officer said.
“He demanded the case be transferred to the High Court in Machakos, citing lack of confidence in Athi River police and Mavoko law court.
The case was transferred to the High Court but dismissed late last year. The court ruled that the matter was between the complainant [Chesang’] and the first respondent [wife].”
Chesang’s application was initially met with obstacles after two magistrates disqualified themselves. The first magistrate opted out and cited personal reasons, while the second declined to take up the case, saying Omungala was her colleague. She referred the case to the Machakos High Court.
High Court Judge George Odunga referred the case to a chief magistrate’s court in Machakos but indicated he was convinced the Mavoko courts could not handle the matter.
“I’m not aware of any legal provision that empowers a magistrate’s court to transfer a matter pending before it to the High Court for hearing,” Justice Odunga said in his ruling.
“The application is hereby transferred to the chief magistrate’s court, Machakos, for hearing and determination, with the mention in October 18, 2018.”