The body of Willis Onyango Ayieko, the Wells Fargo Human Resource Manager who was killed, was moved to Nairobi on Thursday at the request of his family and employer, according to police. An autopsy is scheduled at the Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi.
This development follows the arrival of a homicide unit from Nairobi to Siaya, where they are working alongside local teams to investigate the case. They have gathered details about Ayieko’s final moments before his body was found nearly five days after his abduction.
His body was discovered in the Mungowere stream in Yala, Siaya County, on October 23 at 2 PM. His family reported him missing on Monday, October 21. When found, his body showed signs of decomposition and had bruises on the face and abdomen, suggesting he had been dragged across a rough surface. He was found half-naked, appearing to have been tortured before being dumped, and was handcuffed from behind.
The assailants abandoned his vehicle a few kilometers away in the Sabatia area after hijacking him. Ayieko went missing on Friday, October 18, after attending a burial vigil in Gem, Siaya County, where he stayed until about 10 PM. He had left his home in Kahawa Sukari, Nairobi, and informed his family he would return on Monday after attending two funerals.
Ayieko flew from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Kisumu around 1 PM, where he picked up his four-wheel drive vehicle. After completing errands in Kisumu, he drove to the vigil in Gem.
His vehicle was equipped with a dash camera and a tracking device. Logs indicate he left Nyamninia at approximately 10:15 PM on Friday, driving 13 kilometers to Nyabeda center, where he is believed to have been hijacked.
Detectives suspect that after about an hour, Ayieko’s vehicle was traveling among the Regea, Nyamninia, and Muhanda centers. It stopped at Dudi center for several hours before returning to Regea, marking the last known location traced by his phone.
Despite the vehicle’s dash camera being operational, it was reportedly turned off or disabled on the night of the abduction, indicating the kidnappers were aware of the device. Two men were seen abandoning the vehicle in Sabatia, wearing caps and avoiding recognition. They parked it near a petrol station, claiming a mechanical issue, before leaving with a bag believed to contain Ayieko’s belongings.
Investigators believe Ayieko was followed from Nairobi to Gem, where he was hijacked and subsequently murdered. They are also looking into any activity in his bank accounts during his disappearance. Police plan to interview his colleagues as part of the investigation.
The motive for the murder remains unclear, but officials suggest it may have been retaliatory in nature. A member of the investigation team stated, “We have good leads for now.” Ayieko, a licensed firearm holder, had his pistol and 14 bullets stolen along with other valuables.
