On May 5, six suspects walked into a Nakuru law court. They wore hoodies covering their faces. These were KWS officers linked to the disappearance of Brian Odhiambo.

For the better part of five months before their arrest, protests, court proceedings, and interventions from civil society groups were the order of the day as everyone sought to seek justice for Brian Odhiambo.

Out of desperation, Elizabeth Auma, the mother of Brian, interrupted a speech by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, on March 19 during a function at Shabab, where she pleaded for his intervention in seeking justice for her son.

The Cabinet Secretary gave his promise to follow up on the issue, and come May 5, Senior Sergeant Francis Wachira, Alexander Lorogoi, Isaac Ochieng, Michael Wabukala, Evans Kimaiyo, and Abdulrahman Sudi were arrested and charged with the abduction with intent to confine Brian Odhiambo.

The six pleaded not guilty to the charge, and on May 13, they were released on bail terms. At the time, this did not sit well with the family and friends of Brian Odhiambo as emotions ran high in the courtroom following this ruling.

The case, however, was given priority, and on May 19, the first set of witnesses took the stand.

From their testimonies, they were able to describe how they saw a man, whom they knew all too well as Brian Odhiambo, being whisked away by Kenya Wildlife rangers near the Manyani area.

The common theme among them was the black clothing that Brian had on.

On July 14, some of the colleagues of the accused were called to testify, and the witnesses gave their accounts of what happened on the fateful day the 31-year-old went missing.

The matter was later heard on July 21.

Hassan Salalo, the Safaricom Liaison Officer and Data Analyst, provided phone data records of Evans Kipsang’, Michael Wabukala, Isaac Odhiambo, and Alexander Lorogoi, which showed that they were all in the same location as a phone number registered to Alvy Aoko (Odhiambo’s wife).

While testifying before the court, Alvy Aoko stated that the phone number her husband was using at the time was registered under her name and that it was in his possession.

“The phone numbers of the suspects and that of Aoko were in the same location between 1000 hrs to 1055 hrs. This is consistent with the time Odhiambo was abducted,” he told the court.

Come September 1, Dennis Juma, who was arrested on the same day as Brian Odhiambo, gave shocking details as to what transpired after their arrest.

Dennis narrated how he was able to identify Brian Odhiambo in the back of a KWS vehicle, lying unconscious.

While testifying virtually from Nakuru Prison, he told the court how, after his arrest, they were taken to Summit Resort and told to lie on the ground as they waited for a vehicle that would transport them.

Additionally, he stated that, “I later heard the ranger telling his colleague, ‘Afande huyu amekata,’” (signifying that the man may be dead).

From the onset of the case, the prosecution had requested the court to arrange for a site visit to the place where Brian was arrested to have a clear picture of how the events unfolded.

The court, however, saw it best to carry out the visit after all essential witnesses had testified. The site visit was then set for November 10.

Afterwards, the investigating officer, Julius Muhui, who was the final prosecution witness, took the stand. He revealed to the court that the six Kenya Wildlife Service officers conspired in the mysterious disappearance of Brian Odhiambo.

The court ordered the prosecution and the defense to file their written submissions and both parties to serve the other within 60 days.

The matter will be mentioned on February 16, 2026.

Brian Odhiambo case: A quick breakdown of the court proceedings so far

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Bret Sanya