KWS Ranger implicates himself in fisherman's abduction

KWS ranger Abdulrahaman Sudi testifies before Senior Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion at the Nakuru Law Courts. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

A Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) ranger charged with abducting missing Nakuru fisherman Brian Odhiambo at Lake Nakuru National Park on January 18, 2025, has implicated himself in the incident.

Abdulrahaman Sudi admitted before Senior Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion that he was the last person to be seen with a suspect believed to be Odhiambo before he went missing.

Sudi’s description of the suspect who had allegedly trespassed the park, coincided with the description of Odhiambo’s brother, wife and his mother, who said he was in black clothes.

The ranger is charged alongside Senior Sergeant Francis Wachira rangers Michael Wabukhala, Alexander Lorogoi, Isaac Ochieng, Evans Kimaiyo and Abdulrahaman Sudi.

Yesterday, Sudi found it hard to defend himself in the abduction case, despite insisting that the suspect he guarded for over three hours was not Odhiambo.

The ranger said that he was one of the drivers during the operations at Sewage and Vietnam area Nakuru East Sub County, where 10 people were arrested for illegal fishing and trespass out of which one disappeared.

Sudi testified that despite being a driver, he was left to guard the suspect alone without any backup, as other rangers proceeded to Vietnam for the operations.

He said that the arrested suspect’s hands were tied with a rope and placed at the back of his vehicle, designed in a way he could not escape from inside. Sudi said the suspect posed no threats.

“My boss Wachira instructed me to guard the suspect until the operation ends. I was armed and I have experience of 15 years,” Sudi testified.

He said that he drove the suspect to one of the offices at around 11am and stayed with him there until 1.30pm when he was directed to patrol in one of the notorious areas.

The suspect, whom Sudi described as exhausted, only asked for water while still on the back of the track and was assisted.

He did not explain why he did not surrender the suspect to another officer, but claimed that he had instructions to stay with him unless otherwise directed.

Sudi said that when he interrogated the suspect, upon which he introduced himself as Kilonzo.

According to Sudi, when he was instructed to patrol, the suspect asked to relieve himself and the ranger helped him out of the vehicle and loosened the rope.

“After relieving himself, I directed the suspect back to the vehicle but before he boarded it, he elbowed me on the left side of the chest and escaped deep into the bushes inside the park, I attempted to lay a trap on him but he vanished,” he testified.

Sudi was cross-examined on the escape by Lawyers Kipkoech Ngetich, Mogendi Abuya and the prosecution and struggled to explain how a fatigued suspect escaped from an armed ranger.

He failed to explain why he did not immediately report to Wachira that a suspect that he was guarding had escaped, despite claiming they were communicating using a radio call.

Sudi testified that Wachira called and expressed anger when he reported the escape to him, however, he failed to explain why he was not provided with any reinforcements from 2pm to 5.30pm.

He failed to explain why he did not shoot in the air or pursue a weak suspect, despite having over 15 years’ experience as a ranger.

He also shocked the court by claiming that he could medically tell that the exhausted suspect had renewed strength to escape his custody by attacking him and running faster than him.

“At 5.30pm I went to the investigation office for clearance and it was at that time that we started looking for the suspect as a group. We did not record the search party in an occurrence book,” explained Sudi.

The ranger also admitted that the incident, despite dramatic description, was not recorded in an Occurrence Book and they did not report the escape to the police station.

Despite recording a statement with the police and swearing an affidavit, during the inquiry of Odhiambo’s disappearance, Sudi failed to explain to the court why he did not indicate that the suspect he guarded was called Kilonzo.

“I could not tell his name because I did not take his particulars. I did not record anywhere the occurrence on the day of the incident. I only reported everything to Wachira,” he testified.

He also admitted that he was at the investigation’s office, at around 5.30pm, the same time witnesses who testified against him said they saw Odhiambo lying unconscious at the back of his vehicle.

Sudi said he did not know where the suspect went. He denied that they killed the suspect at around 2pm and during clearance is the time they buried him.

The case will continue on August 24.