An officer linked to the investigation into the March 2026 acid attack on Mary Claire Ochieng has died in Nairobi, days after he was reportedly summoned by his employer, the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Elvis Opiyo, described as the prime suspect in the case, was found dead inside his rented apartment at Amani Court in Umoja Two.
His death came shortly after he travelled to Nairobi from his rural home following the reported summons by his employer.
According to information from a family member and a close friend, Opiyo had received a dismissal letter from NIS in connection with the acid attack.
The two spoke on condition of anonymity.
Opiyo reportedly called his wife
After receiving the letter, Opiyo is said to have called his wife and informed her that he had lost his job.
The dismissal letter was later recovered near his body, according to investigators.
Opiyo was subsequently found dead after his wife became concerned when she could not reach him by phone.
She alerted a friend, who went to the apartment and found Opiyo lying on his back.
The friend reported the incident to the police at Umoja Two Patrol Base.
Police recorded the incident under O.B. Number 13/11/08/2026.
There were no visible external injuries on Opiyo’s body.
Investigators found an empty white plastic cup with traces of an unidentified substance beside him. A spoon and a white chemical substance wrapped in clear nylon were also recovered from a wooden table.
Police suspect the substance could have been poison.
Post-mortem points to poisoning
A post-mortem examination conducted on Wednesday established that Opiyo died after ingesting poison.
Police have, however, classified the death as a suspected suicide as investigations continue.
No suicide note was found at the scene.
His death occurred less than 24 hours after another suspect in a separate acid attack case was arrested and arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts.
The suspect remains in custody at Kibera Police Station.
Opiyo’s death has added a new twist to the investigation into the attack on Ochieng, with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Buruburu continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police are awaiting full toxicology results, which are expected to establish the substance that caused his death.
Meanwhile, Opiyo’s family has begun arrangements to transfer his body to Nyanza for burial.
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