Fugitive Murder Suspect Arrested in Tanzania After Two-Year Manhunt

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 25 – Detectives have arrested a fugitive murder suspect in Tanzania after a two-year manhunt over the killing of Sheila Odoyo, whose body was discovered inside her house in Athi River on May 9, 2024.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspect, identified as Jackson Otieno Bambo, alias James Babu Olang, is the deceased’s husband and was arrested following intelligence-led investigations and cross-border cooperation between Kenyan and Tanzanian law enforcement agencies.

According to the DCI, the breakthrough came after detectives received intelligence placing the suspect in Kirongwe, Shirati District, Tanzania, where he was allegedly hiding while operating a club about 70 kilometres from the Muhuru border point.

Detectives from Athi River, working alongside their counterparts in Nyatike and Tanzanian law enforcement officers, mounted a joint operation that led to his arrest.

The suspect was reportedly found in possession of a Tanzanian national identity card bearing the name James Babu Olang, which investigators are examining as part of the ongoing inquiry Suspect to Face Murder Charge

Following his arrest, Bambo was booked at Nyatike Police Station before being escorted to Athi River Police Station, where he remains in custody pending arraignment.

The DCI said the suspect is expected to face a murder charge over Odoyo’s death.

The arrest marks a significant development in the case, which had remained under investigation since Odoyo was found dead in her Athi River home in May 2024.

Detectives pursued multiple leads during the two-year search before intelligence placed the suspect across the border in Tanzania.

The DCI reiterated its commitment to working with local and international law enforcement agencies to track down suspects accused of serious crimes and bring them before the courts to answer to the charges against them.

The suspect remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.