By ERIC JUMA
Detectives in Ugenya have arrested a man suspected of killing his wife and her employer in separate incidents in Ugunja Sub-county, Siaya County, before allegedly fleeing to Kakamega.
The suspect, Denis Okoth Achieng, is being held at Ukwala Police Station as detectives investigate the two killings, which allegedly occurred in 2025.
Ugenya Sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer Benson Msyoka said investigators had obtained a court order allowing them to detain the suspect for 14 days as they pursue further inquiries.
“We are conducting thorough investigations into two murders that he allegedly committed before seeking refuge in Kakamega,” said Msyoka.
Investigators allege that Achieng killed his employer, Eunice Atieno Siaji, a 65-year-old woman who lived in Nakuru and owned a farm in Ramunde Sub-location, Ugunja Sub-county.
According to Msyoka, Siaji returned to the farm on September 3, 2025, to check on how the suspect was managing her property when a disagreement reportedly erupted between the employer and her farm attendant.
The disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation, during which Achieng is accused of strangling Siaji to death.
Msyoka said the suspect allegedly buried the woman’s body inside a house without a coffin before leaving the area.
Acting on intelligence, detectives traced Achieng to Kakamega, where he was arrested while in the company of his two-year-old son.
“We brought him to Ukwala Police Station for custody, and the court granted us 14 more days to detain him as we continue with investigations,” Msyoka said.
The detective added that preliminary investigations had uncovered another suspected killing after Achieng allegedly confessed to murdering his wife in 2025 and burying her body inside a house before fleeing the area.
“The accused confessed to having murdered his wife before fleeing to Ugunja to seek employment as a farm attendant,” Msyoka said.
The suspect subsequently led detectives to the house where he allegedly buried his wife’s body. The remains were exhumed as part of the investigations.
Msyoka said the suspect’s two-year-old son had been placed under the care of children’s officers in Ugenya for protection.
Achieng was scheduled to undergo a medical assessment on Monday, October 26, ahead of his anticipated plea-taking.
The detective declined to disclose further details, saying doing so could jeopardise ongoing investigations.
“We cannot disclose more details about the suspect at this stage, as that is likely to jeopardise the investigations. However, we promise to provide more information once he takes plea,” Msyoka said.
Family seeks custody of grandson
Ronald Khaemba, the father of the suspect’s wife, said he had not heard from his sixth-born daughter since she went missing in September 2025.
Khaemba, who lives in Bungoma, said his daughter had previously called to inform him that she had married, raising his hopes that she would enjoy a peaceful and lasting union.
“My daughter had called and delivered the good news of her marriage. I thought it would be a long-lasting, peaceful marriage, but it was short-lived,” he said.
He recalled travelling to Ugunja the following day with one of his brothers to visit his daughter and meet her husband. He said he was shocked by the living conditions at the home but that his daughter appeared comfortable.
After the visit, Khaemba returned to Bungoma and arranged for his in-laws to visit his family to formalise the marriage.
“The suspect, accompanied by his pastor, paid us a visit in Bungoma, and we agreed to marry off our daughter. That was the last time we saw her,” he said.
Khaemba said the family searched for her without success and reported her disappearance to the police in August 2026. They also visited mortuaries and hospitals in an effort to establish her whereabouts.
He said the family later visited the suspect’s home but did not find him. They reportedly found his father holding a portrait of the suspect’s son as police searched the premises.
Khaemba appealed to the government to allow him to take custody of his grandson.
“I want to plead with the government to allow my grandson to be in my custody,” he said.
