By TWV Team
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is seeking to detain four suspects in connection with the brutal killing of Dickson Otieno Ombaka, the manager of Obamana Links Limited, in what investigators describe as part of a long-running and increasingly violent turf war between rival matatu groups in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Appearing before Milimani Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, prosecutors asked the court to hold the four men, Oloo Ogumbo, Duncan Ochola, Vitalis Owino, and Ochieng Ojwang, for 21 days at Kamukunji Police Station to allow the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to complete inquiries.
According to Police Constable Pwoka Mauka, the investigating officer attached to DCI Kamukunji, the suspects, while on duty at the Obamana Sacco stage on Temple Road–Uyoma Street, allegedly attacked and fatally stabbed Mr Ombaka on Saturday, 2 August 2025. The victim, who worked at the neighbouring Obamana Links Limited stage, succumbed to excessive bleeding from the wound after being rushed to a hospital along Juja Road.
The prosecution told the court that the killing was the latest in a string of violent incidents arising from fierce competition over passenger drop-off and pick-up points in the CBD. “These incidents have become chronic and must be addressed with the seriousness they deserve to curb the loss of life within the Nairobi CBD,” prosecutors said.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Obamana Sacco and Obamana Links Limited were once part of the same PSV organisation before a breakaway faction rebranded itself as Obamana Links Limited. The split left both groups claiming the same lucrative passenger stages, sparking repeated confrontations.
Constable Mauka noted that several other suspects remain at large and that releasing the four men now could jeopardise their arrest. He also warned they were flight risks, with no fixed abode, making re-arrest difficult if they absconded. The DPP further said the suspects need to undergo an identification parade and mental assessment at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The killing has intensified concerns over public safety in the CBD. Over the past year, disputes over matatu stages have resulted in multiple injuries and several fatalities. Passengers, stage attendants, and bystanders have been caught in the crossfire, raising questions over the city’s ability to regulate the chaotic public transport sector.
The defence team opposed the detention request, describing the accused as family men and sole breadwinners. Magistrate Ekhubi ordered the four suspects to remain in custody at Kamukunji Police Station until Friday, 8 August 2025, when he will rule on the DPP’s application.
Behind the courtroom drama lies a deeper issue: Nairobi’s public transport stages are a high-stakes battleground where control means money, influence, and, increasingly, bloodshed. Unless the authorities intervene decisively, the turf wars may continue to turn the city’s streets into killing fields.
