By Franklin Wallah,
The wife of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier who died in unclear circumstances at their Kahawa Wendani home is in police custody as detectives piece together his last months.
It has now emerged that the 37-year-old KDF soldier, Daniel Omollo Onyango, was uneasy about a studio his estranged wife, Violet Asale, who is a musician, had reportedly rented out at Mirema Drive in Nairobi’s Roysambu.
Police said that their investigations revealed that the KDF private doubted the existence of the studio and expressed fears that someone else was footing the studio rent.
To ease his mind, police said Onyango travelled from his Gilgil base in Nakuru to Nairobi to ascertain the truth for himself.
But while at their home in Kahawa Wendani, Kiambu County, a fight broke out between Onyango and his wife in the middle of the night.
Earlier, the brooding soldier had refused to eat the food that was served him and he did not want to talk to his family.
The fight broke out in their bedroom sometimes past midnight early Sunday morning, April 4,
Reports indicate that Onyango had bite marks on his chest and injuries on his hand while the wife also sustained injuries on her shoulder.
The wife’s relatives, who were in the house when the fight broke out, said they tried to intervene.
The relatives told police that before they could intervene, the wife pushed Onyango to the wall and the KDF officer collapsed.
Speaking from police custody, Ms Asale said that Onyango was trying to suffocate her so she defended herself.
“Hajastabiwa hata kidogo. Hakuna hata alama ya kisu wala kugongwa [He wasn’t stabbed and he doesn’t even have a stab wound]. My husband fainted. Katika ile harakati ya sisi kung’ang’ana mimi nilitoka nje ye akabaki ndani (bedroom) [During the scuffle I freed myself and left him in the bedroom]. Katika ile hasira yake yeye anaendaga akiangusha vitu kwa nyumba. Alibaki kwa bedroom, akaanza kuvunjana na …, sasa siwezi jua alijigonga wapi [When he gets angry he likes throwing things in the house and self-harming]…
After like five minutes, he called out saying he was having difficulty breathing. He started holding his stomach, I don’t know where he hit himself,” said Ms. Asale.
The musician said that she is now looking for a lawyer to represent her in court on Tuesday, April 6, when she is expected to be arraigned as police continue to investigate the soldier’s death.
In her own words, Ms. Asale referred to Onyango as her ex-husband and the father of her child.
As police pieced together the KDF’s soldier’s health background, it emerged that he survived a serious road accident and landmine explosion that his convoy while on duty.
Ms. Asale’s relatives who were at the house during the deadly scuffle have also recorded statements.
The body of the KDF soldier was moved to the Kenya Defense Forces Memorial Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem.
