Police in Kiambu have been granted 14 days to detain a suspect who faked the death of his nonexistent son to complete investigations.
Kikuyu Senior Resident Magistrates Catherine Mugo approved a miscellaneous application by the Kabete police to continue holding one Wilson Isoyi in a bid to finalize their investigations.
The middle-aged Wilson Isoyi was arrested on Monday at Gaitubi, Kabete sub-county after it dawned on mourners that he had all along lied to them that his son had died.
The cunning suspect told neighbours and friends that his son disappeared on January 5 2023, only for his lifeless body to be discovered by police two days later.
He and his neighbours immediately started burial preparations in readiness for the burial which was to be held in Emuhaya, Vihiga county.
Mourners and well-wishers managed to raise more than Ksh 100,000 to cater for the boy's decent interment and handed the same to the 'bereaved' family.
"We had already given him money for the casket and hearse plus the printing of the burial program and eulogy and we were now waiting for the burial day," Mary Wanjiku, a neighbour said.
The suspect's mischief started bubbling to the surface when the eulogy printer asked for the deceased's picture and which the father didn't have.
"The burial preparation committee told him to avail a photo of the boy but he had none. He started giving flimsy excuses including the fact that it's against his cultural beliefs to put it in the eulogy, " Wanjiku explained.
PHOTO/ Clement Kamau
And then the unexpected happened, when the burial day came, unsuspecting mourners gathered at the city mortuary ready to take the body and transport it to Emuhaya for the burial only for the suspect to disappear mysteriously.
"He had told us that we would find the hearse and the casket plus a public address system at the city mortuary. Much to our chagrin, there was nothing like that and the man was nowhere to be seen," another neighbour who spoke anonymously noted.
The suspect who is set to face charges of obtaining cash through false pretence emerged from his hideout last Sunday and irate neighbours reported him to authorities and he was arrested.
It has since emerged that during the fake burial preparations, he had stolen a mobile phone belonging to one committee member but the matter was resolved internally.
The matter remains under investigation.
