Court orders arrest of Rongo church directors in GSU officer death case

Principal Magistrate Susan Mutava on Thursday ordered the arrest of Michael Kus Onyango, Luka Ochieng, Everline Gemamo, and Lilian Atieno Olal, all associated with St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Limited Church, after they failed to appear in court as required.

The four had previously been ordered to be remanded at Kamagambo Police Station for 21 days to allow police investigations into the mysterious death and burial of a General Service Unit (GSU) officer at the church premises in Rongo. The court had also directed authorities to confirm whether the church was in compliance with the Public Health Act.

However, the suspects challenged the Magistrate Court’s decision by filing an appeal at the Migori High Court. Despite this, Prosecuting Counsel Juliet Ombogo applied for arrest warrants due to their failure to attend the scheduled court session—an application that was granted. The case is scheduled for mention on July 3, 2025.

Separately, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has filed an application seeking court orders to exhume the body of the deceased officer, Police Constable Adan Ayoo, who was buried on March 28, 2025, within the church compound.

According to the ODPP, Constable Ayoo died under unclear circumstances on March 27, and was buried without the knowledge or consent of his family or employer. The prosecution is now seeking to conduct a postmortem at Migori County Referral Hospital to determine the cause of death.