Police sergeant says he is real husband to slain Ohangla queen

A police officer has confessed that he is the real husband to Sheila Akeyo Odoyo alias Wagesha, adding a fresh twist to the gruesome murder of the popular Ohangla dancer whose mutilated body was discovered in a house in Athi River, Machakos County.

The 38-year-old Sheila was living with a man identified as Jackson Bambo alias JB, who was said to be her husband. Jackson, a 45-year-old businessman, went on the run as police launched investigations into the murder. This amid reports the couple had a troubled marriage linked to claims of infidelity.

Linda Okinyi, Sheila’s daughter, told detectives that she discovered her mother was dead in the afternoon when she went to serve her lunch. It is believed that Sheila, who had deep cuts on her throat, was killed on the night of May 9. Linda further told the police that her father had left the house on the fateful night at around 1am in a Mitsubishi Outlander without uttering a word.

With Sergeant Samwel Odoyo now crawling out of the woodwork to claim Sheila’s body, investigators could start looking into whether a love-triangle led to the woman’s death.

“I expected to meet my wife when she was alive, but we leave everything to God,” said Odoyo, adding that they were in the process of mending fences after their marriage hit the rocks.

In an interview with The Nairobian, Odoyo revealed he secretly planned to reunite with Sheila, whom he recognises as his first wife.

In what he described as an unexpected turn of events, Sheila died just two days after talking to Odoyo on phone. Their conversation centred on how they would meet and reunite after staying away from each other for close to seven years.

“We had a conversation in which we discussed how we were going to meet. I wanted to go and meet her in Nairobi but she requested I let her travel to Kisumu where I work,” Odoyo recounted.

The conversation ended well with Odoyo looking forward to meeting his estranged wife after she allegedly intimated that she had set plans in motion to walk away from Jackson.

“She had hinted to me that she was already looking for a house so that she could terminate her relationship with that man in order to reunite with me. Her proposal left me in high hopes that our marriage was going to restart,” said Odoyo.

Heartbroken

But two days later, the sad news of Sheila’s death broke. Odoyo said he was heartbroken and is still struggling to come to terms with her demise.

“It was shocking news because Sheila was coming to meet me in Kisumu to plan how to rejoin my family. I expected to meet her alive but let us leave the matter to God because he has a reason for everything,” he said.

According to Odoyo, they had lived together for 13 years before Sheila walked out in 2017. Even though they were living apart, Sheila was in constant communication with him and they regularly shared ideas on raising their three children.

“Despite our small differences, we agreed to accord our children the support they needed. I have been supporting the children and she had also been doing the same. We agreed to ensure that there is no day our children will feel the vacuum as far as our support is concerned until they grow up,” Odoyo said.

The policeman says he is entitled to bury Sheila in line with Luo culture. “My in-laws are very co-operative in this matter because they recognise me as their son in-law. I am the one who paid dowry, which is a sign of formalising a marriage,” he said.

Sheila will be buried in a new homestead at Soko village, Kanyach Kachar location in Homa Bay.

New homestead

“After she left me, I built a homestead for my second wife. I have to build another for Sheila where we are going to bury her because culture prohibits burial of a first wife in the homestead of the second,” explained Odoyo.

Peter Obugi, Sheila’s elder brother, said the family recognises Odoyo as her husband.

“Sheila’s mother and father died when she was young. She used to live with her paternal grandmother. I took the responsibility of supporting her because the grandmother was old,” Obugi disclosed to The Nairobian.

Obugi, a resident of Nyamadede village, Gwassi East location in Suba sub-county, said Odoyo formalised his marriage with Sheila by giving them two cows and money.

“I am one of the people who received the bride price from Odoyo in our family. I played a parental role even though she was my sister. As a family, the only person we recognise as Sheila’s husband is Odoyo and that is why we have allowed him to bury her,” said Obugi.

He explained that in their culture, a man who has paid dowry is recognised by the woman’s family as the bona fide husband.

Meanwhile, in a bid to set the record straight, Odoyo’s relatives maintain Sheila was not married to Jackson. They claim the businessman was her lover.

Owaka Ochola, Sheila’s brother-in-law, says the family is embarrassed by information that his sister was murdered by the husband.

“As a family, we want Kenyans to know that Sheila was murdered by her lover. Her husband is Odoyo, who is innocent in that matter. We are not happy to hear people saying she was murdered by her husband,” Ochola said.

Ochola described Sheila as a loving and generous sister in-law.

“Sheila was a very beautiful lady. She accommodated members of the family and I cannot forget her generosity. He death is a setback to us,” mourned Ochola while calling for justice over her death.