The body of Sergeant Arnold Kipyegon Kenei, head of security at Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annex office, was discovered on the evening of February 20, 2020, in the servant quarters of his rented house at Villa Franca estate in Imara Daima, Nairobi.
The circumstances of his death immediately raised alarms among investigators and the public alike.
Kenei, an Administration Police officer in his early 30s, was found with a single gunshot wound from his own service pistol. The bullet entered through the chin and exited the forehead.
While the scene had been arranged to suggest suicide, several details contradicted that narrative.
No neighbors reported hearing a gunshot, a suicide note was left behind, and money had been sent to his family shortly before his death. Get The Full Story Here
Further complicating the case, Kenei’s phone had been completely wiped—a “factory reset” that left little trace of his final communications.
At the center of the controversy was Kenei’s role as chief security officer at the Deputy President’s Harambee House Annex. He controlled access, screened visitors, and maintained detailed records of who entered and exited the office.
On February 13, 2020, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa arrived at the office with two foreign nationals claiming to be arms dealers.
CCTV records showed they spent over an hour inside, seeking approval for a fake military equipment tender worth an estimated Sh39–40 billion.
Kenei’s clearance of the visitors later made him a pivotal figure in subsequent investigations.
Kenei was scheduled to provide a statement to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on February 19 regarding the security breach and the arms deal.
Deputy President Ruto last spoke to him on February 17. Just days later, Kenei was found dead.
DCI Director George Kinoti took personal charge of the investigation. Forensic analysis led by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor confirmed that Kenei’s death was a homicide.
Investigators discovered that three unidentified men had visited Kenei’s house on the day of his death; these men were known to frequent Harambee House Annex and had connections to senior officials.
Despite the wiped phone, portions of Kenei’s data were recovered, offering hints at the potential chain of events leading to his death.
At least nine individuals were flagged in the investigation, including staff from Harambee House Annex, officials from the Department of Defence, and employees of a telecommunications company.
Kinoti suggested that Kenei’s death was intended to silence him before he could reveal critical information about the multi-billion shilling arms scam.
Deputy President Ruto attended Kenei’s burial, describing him as a disciplined officer and alleging that the killing was part of a political scheme aimed at discrediting him.
Years have passed since the murder, but no arrests have been made, leaving a cloud of suspicion over those connected to the case.
Kenei’s father, retired chief John Chesang, has consistently demanded justice, rejecting the silence surrounding his son’s death.
The central question remains unanswered: who saw Kenei as a threat, and what secrets did he hold that demanded his elimination?