The Head of Human Resources at Wells Fargo, Willis Ayieko, went missing last Friday under unclear circumstances. The incident happened in Gem, Siaya County, where he had attended the burial of his friend’s late mother.
After days of frantic searches and missing reports, Ayieko’s body has been found lifeless. The body was discovered on Monday, four days after he was reported missing.
His Mysterious Disappearance
His disappearance, according to family and friends, is that Ayieko went missing after attending the burial. No one knows where he went and his car also went missing.
That is when frantic calls about his whereabouts started after everyone confirmed that they were not with him.
After days of anxiety and heartbreak, the missing vehicle was later found abandoned at a petrol station in Sabatia, raising more concerns about his safety. It was an orange pick-up truck, that was parked there by two unidentified men who made away on foot, as revealed by the petrol station’s CCTV footage.
“We received a call from members of the public who alerted us to a body near a stream in Yala. Upon arrival, we found the deceased handcuffed, which immediately raised suspicions of a criminal act. Investigations are underway to establish the circumstances of his death.”
Siaya Sub-County Police Commander, Charles Wafula
The body was discovered in the Mungowere stream in Yala. It was handcuffed, with bruises on the face and stomach, on October 23 around 2 pm.
His elder brother, Aggrey Oduor, said his brother’s body was found mutilated with his breasts, mouth, nose, and ears cut and his eyes gouged out. This chilling incident has given detectives a hard nut to crack and are yet to divulge any further details into their preliminary investigations.
A Murder Case
Investigators are looking to identify the two men to provide critical information on the murder case which is now open.
No one knows for sure why Ayieko was targeted and the exact motive is yet to be unravelled.
Many are of the idea that he was harboring political interests, which could have attracted unknown rivals. This line of thinking is in a bid to widen the scope of investigations. No clues should be ignored to bring the perpetrators to book.
Security analysts and detectives are also tying the gruesome murder to an earlier probe where millions were allegedly stolen by Wells Fargo company employees. Several suspects were arrested last year in connection with the theft and investigations are ongoing.
Further Investigation Plans
Ayieko leaves behind a wife and two children. His body is preserved at the Lee Funeral Home to allow homicide detectives to complete their investigations. The family will then proceed with post-mortem before burial arrangements begin officially.
Family and friends have been meeting at his Lang’ata home in Nairobi to pay homage to a man who touched many people’s lives. The late HR was an Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) member.
Many politicians and friends including Ochillo Ayacko and James Orengo, have offered their condolences. His fellow corporate bigwigs have offered their statements with many blaming security lapses for high-profile personalities who could be targets of murder and kidnapping.
