Prominent Nairobi businessman Jesse Wafula Walukha, the prime suspect in the murder of government accountant June Jerop Kangogo, has been released on a Sh20,000 police cash bail as authorities continue their investigation. Infohub Kenya reports that a magistrate’s court in Makadara ordered Walukha’s release on Friday, placing him on bond terms similar to the other two suspects in the case.
Kangogo, an accountant for the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and a master’s student at Kenyatta University, was found dead on March 21 after disappearing two days earlier. Her body was discovered near Jamhuri Primary School, sparking a widespread investigation into her mysterious death. A postmortem examination revealed that Kangogo died from excessive bleeding following a stab wound to the chest.
As the investigation continues, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has instructed detectives to gather additional evidence, including DNA analysis, eyewitness testimonies, and recovery of CCTV footage and financial records. Although cell phone data analysis provided crucial information about Kangogo and the suspects’ movements on the night of March 18 and 19, the ODPP stated in a letter to the police that this evidence was not sufficient to establish guilt.
Walukha, who was taken into custody on March 23, denies any involvement in Kangogo’s murder. He claims to have never met her and contends that there is no tangible evidence linking him to her or her death. However, Walukha’s lawyer, John Swaka, stated that Kangogo contacted his client on March 17 and 18, but they did not speak on either occasion.
Swaka also explained that Walukha and Kangogo were business partners, and she owed him Sh1 million for a salvaged car he had sold her. Additionally, Kangogo had been using Walukha’s company to apply for tenders at her place of employment. The suspect expressed frustration over perceived discrimination, as the other two suspects had already been released on cash bail, and current investigation reports suggest that police are focusing on a suspect employed at Kangogo’s workplace.
The three suspects are scheduled to appear in court on April 25, at which point the court will be updated on the progress of the investigation.