A shocking twist has emerged in the murder trial of businessman Willis Ayieko, revealing how a seemingly routine motorcycle ride became part of a calculated plan that ended in torture and death.
Testifying on Monday, May 26, under the Witness Protection Agency programme, a key witness told the court that he was paid KSh9,000 to transport armed suspects believed to be behind Ayieko’s murder.
“I was asked to find a motorcycle and be ready. I wasn’t told what the job was, only that I’d be well paid,” the witness testified. “All I had to do was fuel the bike and wait for instructions.”
The witness, who remains under state protection, recounted how he was recruited by the first accused, who was allegedly working under the direction of a now-deceased mastermind. On October 18, 2024, he was contacted by a man identified only as Sisco, who instructed him to meet at Dudi, Siaya County.
From that point, a disturbing chain of events began to unfold. The witness said he was redirected to Mutumbu Centre, where he met Sisco and two other men at Amigos Pub. One of the men was introduced as part of the group — now deceased but previously considered one of the primary suspects.
Later that evening, the witness was told to follow a second motorcycle. He recalled a chilling moment when the two accused disappeared into the dark and returned transformed.
“One wore a U.S. military-style jacket with an AK-47, the other had a black jacket and a rifle. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right,” he told the court.
The group then rode to a homestead where a funeral was underway. The accused entered the compound, emerging later in a vehicle with a man whose head was covered with a sack and hands cuffed behind his back.
“He was being led toward a mud-walled house. The first accused held a gun and ordered him to walk,” the witness recalled.
That same night at around 11:00 pm, the first accused asked to be taken to Kisumu to withdraw money. By the next day, he had vanished — claiming he had landed a job in Nairobi.
Unbeknownst to the witness, the man he had seen bound and blindfolded was Willis Ayieko — a respected Human Resources manager who had gone missing after attending a funeral in Gem, Siaya County. His body was discovered days later in Dudi, dumped not far from where the witness had last seen him.
“I didn’t know someone had died. I only found out after DCI arrested me,” the witness said.
The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has since intensified efforts to bring Ayieko’s killers to justice. His abandoned Ford Ranger had earlier been recovered in Sabatia, hours before his body was found.
Ayieko’s brutal killing sent shockwaves across the region. Family and friends have continued to demand justice, describing him as a dedicated professional and community pillar.
The trial continues as prosecutors build their case on chilling testimonies, linking the accused to an elaborate abduction and execution plot — one that began with a simple motorcycle ride and a Ksh9,000 promise.
