A man accused of defiling his two daughters and disappearing to evade the law has finally been arrested.
Anthony Odhiambo who hails from Obisa village near Oyugis town disappeared late February 2019 after he got wind police were looking for him over allegation of defiling his underage daughters.
Rachuonyo south sub-county children’s officer Caleb Ochor told KNA that the man was arrested from his hideout in Suneka town of Kisii south sub-county and is expected to appear in court any time.
He said he was given a tip-off that the man was residing at Suneka town.
“After I got the information I liaised with Oyugis OCS James Magiri who mobilised police officers for an immediate action,” he said.
Mr. Ochor said police officers travelled to Suneka town and in coordination with officers from Suneka police camp, managed to arrest the man in a house just close to the police camp.
“The suspect was booked in at Oyugis police post at 9.30pm Thursday under a tight security,” the officer said.
In the month of February, Ochor rescued two of the man’s daughters and placed them in a children home after a government medic confirmed defilement claim.
The two girls aged 12 and 10 had been enduring torments of defilement from their father for quite some time before the matter came to the open.
The children officer said the man had always threatened the girl’s mother over the defilement and could not do anything but remained silent and scared.
She said she one day told the daughters to endure, hoping the despicable behaviour will end, said Ochor
A senior teacher from Obisa primary school where the girls were learning had noticed some peculiar behaviour in one of the girls and set out to know what was happening.
The teacher who did not want to be identified for fear of the suspect told the children officer that at first she thought the younger girl was epileptic but later she discovered one morning that before she went to school had been defiled.
“When the teacher reported the matter to the children’s office through a phone call on January 16, 2019, I took up the matter and on January17, 2019 I interviewed the children,” said Ochor.
He said on January 18, he went back to the children’s parents’ home, picked the children and went to record a statement at Oyugis police post giving the OB no. as 27 of January18, 2019.
The officer said after reporting the matter he took the children to hospital at Rachuonyo level-4 hospital on January 22, 2019 where they were examined and through a p3 form report Dr. Peter Ogolla confirmed defilement took place.
It was found then the man had defiled the children for a while, the first incident the elder girl now in class six recounted happened when she was in class three with the latest being on the on January13, 2019 according to the doctor’s medical report.
The report for the younger girl now in class five indicates defilement started in 2016 but the latest happened on January 17 early morning at 7am before the child left for school.
Ochor said not even neighbours in the know of the man’s weird behavior could dare report the matter to police as they feared the man as he threatened them of dire consequences.
He said even the teacher who reported the matter was living in fear of the man until she decided to ask for transfer to another school.
The officer blamed the community for remaining hushed and yet when the incident came out many people seemed to be aware of the happenings.
Linet Adhiambo said the man, while in his hideout, was sending threatening messages to to the victims’ mother.
She told the children officer the man had married woman with three children.
Adhiambo said she is scared and she blames police for failing to arrest him in time when the matter was reported saying he couldn’t have escaped.
Oyugis police post OCS said since the matter was reported they have been looking for the man on a daily basis but were not lucky to arrest him as he got wind and disappeared.
He had however, promised to pursue the man to face the law.
The two girls were taken to Gideon’s children home in Kabondo Rachuonyo East Sub County where the children officer secured a place for their care and protection.
By Moseti Julius
