3.1Search for the Late Minister

to give him the keys and go back to sleep. Rodi gave him the keys and went to sleep. The minister went to the store alone and said to Olang’ that he was going to look for the lamp in the store. He did not return immediately.

At about 3.00am the minister went back to the poultry house. He called out for Mr Olang’. He told him that the store was too full that he was unable to find the lamp. He returned the store keys to Mr Olang’ and told him to return the keys to the storekeeper Mr Philip Rodi in the morning as he was asleep at that time. The late minister left the poultry house and went towards his house. That was the last time he was seen alive.

3.1SEARCH FOR THE LATE MINISTER

On 13thFebruary, 1990, the late minister was expected to fly to Nairobi. His bodyguards were waiting for him at Jomo Kenyatta Airport and Kisumu. When he did not turn up, the bodyguards started enquiring as to his whereabouts. Mrs Ouko was informed and she telephoned Selina Were at Koru and enquired as to what happened to her husband. Selina Were told her that Dr Ouko had been collected by a white car early in the morning at about 3.00am. At first his disappearance was taken lightly. Everyone expected him to have been delayed somewhere and eventually he could show up. By the end of the day, nobody knew where he was.

3.2Sighting of the Body by a Herdsman

On 13thFebruary, 1990 at about 1.00pm a herdsboy called Paul Shikuku was looking after his employer’s cattle at the foot of Got Alila

when he noticed smoke in the nearby thicket. He moved closer to find out what it was. He noticed a body of a human being burning. He drove his cattle away from that area immediately. He told another herdsboy called Harsi of what he had seen. He showed him the smoke but refused to take him to the site. They both left the area. On the way, Paul Shikuku met two people, Richard Rotich and Joshua Ngeny at River Nyando. He told them that he had seen a body of a human being burning. Joshua Rotic said that it may be a body of a madman who resides in the bush within that area. In the evening, the herdsboy reported to his employer but unfortunately, no action was taken to inform the Police or the Administration.

3.3Search for the minister by the Police

On 14thFebruary, 1990 at about 6.00pm the minister’s bodyguard AP Cpl. Gordon Okoth reported to the Divisional Security Intelligence Officer, Kisumu, Mr Omwenga who in turn, reported the matter to the members of both the District Security Committee and Provincial Security Committee. A Police Inspector was dispatched to Koru to find out what had happened to the minister. The Inspector returned from Koru and reported that the minister left in the early hours of 13thFebruary, 1990. A decision was taken to mount a search for the minister within Koru.

On the morning of 15thFebruary, 1990, Police mounted a search for the minister within Koru area. The initial search started from the minister’s home and extended towards Got Alila. The search stopped in the evening and was to be continued the following day.