DCI arrests murder suspect in Tanzania after two-year manhunt

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives on Saturday arrested Jackson Otieno Bambo, the husband of slain Ohangla dancer Sheila Odoyo, in Tanzania following a two-year manhunt over her murder in Athi River.

According to DCI, Bambo, also known as James Babu Olang, was arrested in Kirongwe, Shirati District, after intelligence-led investigations and a joint operation involving Kenyan and Tanzanian law enforcement agencies.

Odoyo, popularly known as Sheila Wegesha, was found murdered inside her home in Hill View Estate, Athi River, on May 9, 2024. The 38-year-old entertainer had sustained deep cuts to her neck.

The arrest marks a major development in a case that remained unresolved as detectives pursued leads to establish the circumstances surrounding her death and trace her husband, who had become the focus of the investigation.

According to the DCI, investigators pursued multiple leads before receiving intelligence placing the suspect in Tanzania, where he was reportedly running a club about 70 kilometres from the Muhuru border point.

“With the suspect nowhere to be found, detectives followed leads, pieced together intelligence and pursued every available avenue to bring him to justice,” the DCI said in a statement.

The agency said the breakthrough followed sustained investigations and cooperation between detectives based in Athi River, their counterparts in Nyatike, and Tanzanian law enforcement officers.

“Acting on the intelligence, detectives from Athi River, working in close coordination with their counterparts in Nyatike and Tanzanian law enforcement officers, mounted a joint operation to track and arrest the suspect.”

Following Odoyo’s death in May 2024, police launched investigations and began searching for Bambo, who was identified as a person of interest in the case.

Odoyo was discovered in her matrimonial bedroom in Hill View Estate, with visible injuries to her neck. A postmortem examination later established that she died from excessive blood loss caused by sharp-force trauma to the neck.

Investigators also traced a Mitsubishi Outlander associated with Bambo to a parking area near Kencom in Nairobi’s central business district. Reports at the time said the vehicle had been left there before he disappeared, while his last phone signal was reportedly traced to Narok County.

The search subsequently extended beyond Kenya’s borders, with detectives continuing to pursue information about his whereabouts.

At the time of his arrest, Bambo reportedly had a Tanzanian national identity card bearing the name James Babu Olang.

The DCI said the document forms part of the ongoing investigations. However, the agency did not disclose how the identity card was obtained or whether authorities have established the circumstances under which the name was being used.

After the arrest, police booked the suspect at Nyatike Police Station before escorting him to Athi River Police Station, where he remains in custody pending arraignment.

He is expected to appear in court to face a murder charge.

The arrest reinforces the role of cross-border cooperation in tracking suspects in serious criminal investigations, particularly where investigators believe a person has left the country.

The DCI reaffirmed its commitment to working with local and international law enforcement agencies to ensure suspects are brought before the courts to answer to criminal allegations.

“The DCI remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing perpetrators of serious crimes, working with local and international law enforcement partners to ensure that suspects are brought before the courts to answer to their charges,” the agency said.