The Community Initiative Action Group Kenya (CIAG) has issued a sharp ultimatum to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP): immediately suspend the officers implicated in the killing of former Siaya County Assembly Clerk Felix Isaac Olwero, preserve their service firearms for ballistic examination, and place the key eyewitness under formal witness protection — or face charges of orchestrating a deliberate cover-up.
Olwero, 50, was shot dead at close range inside his White House Resort in Alwala, Seme Kombewa, Kisumu County, on the night of August 17, 2025. Police maintain the death resulted from “mistaken identity” during a response to a reported burglary — the fifth attempted break-in at the property in a short period. According to the official account, officers from Kombewa Police Station encountered what they believed were armed intruders emerging from a nearby thicket carrying pangas, fired warning shots, and then shot Olwero when he allegedly charged at them in the darkness.
CIAG rejects that version outright.
“The identity of the officer who allegedly pulled the trigger is known, yet no meaningful steps have been taken to investigate, suspend, or prosecute those responsible,” said CIAG Executive Director Chris Owalla in a strongly worded letter dated February 10, 2026. “The circumstances surrounding the shooting raise grave concerns of possible police abuse of power and extrajudicial execution.”
Before his death, Olwero had served as Clerk of the Siaya County Assembly. His appointment was revoked shortly beforehand amid allegations of gross misconduct linked to the unauthorized withdrawal of KSh 2 million. He was married to Siaya County Executive Committee Member for Sports, Angeline Oduor, giving the case added public prominence. Siaya Governor James Orengo described Olwero’s death as one that “should not have happened in such a senseless manner.”
According to CIAG, the farmhand who witnessed the shooting has never been offered protection. No forensic or ballistic reports have been released to the public or the family. A formal petition submitted by the group on August 25, 2025 — just days after the incident — has met what activists call “deafening silence” from the relevant authorities.
“The officer must be compelled to disclose the exact orders he received that night,” Owalla demanded. “We are calling for a joint public statement from DCI, IPOA and ODPP detailing the current status of the investigation, a firm timeline for completion, and swift prosecution of anyone found culpable.”
Police insist the incident unfolded as a confused midnight operation: officers cordoned off the resort following a distress call from the manager, mistook Olwero for one of the intruders, and opened fire after he reportedly advanced toward them. His body was later moved to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Critics, including CIAG and family sources, point to multiple inconsistencies — including conflicting reports about whether the shooting occurred inside the resort compound or near his residence, and the absence of any disciplinary action against the officers involved. Some activists now describe the killing as a possible “targeted assassination facilitated by police impunity.”
Six months on, no officer has been disarmed, sidelined or charged. No inquest has been scheduled. The family continues to wait for justice.
The fresh push for answers arrives against a backdrop of growing public anger over recurring cases of alleged extrajudicial killings and delayed investigations in Kenya. CIAG is urging citizens, civil society organisations and political leaders to increase pressure on the authorities.
“Felix Olwero’s life mattered,” Owalla emphasised. “His death cannot be reduced to yet another ‘mistaken identity’ statistic and quietly forgotten.”
With the February 10 letter now circulating widely among human rights networks and opposition circles, the next move rests with DCI, IPOA and ODPP. Will they respond with concrete action — or allow another high-profile police shooting to fade from public memory?
The people of Siaya, and the widow of a man who once served as the administrative backbone of the county assembly, are watching closely.
Article compiled from official statements, police reports, family accounts and CIAG correspondence.
