A court in Rongo, Migori County, has approved a request from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to exhume the body of a General Service Unit (GSU) officer buried earlier this year under unclear circumstances.

The officer, Police Constable Adan Ayoo, is said to have died on 27 March 2025. His burial took place the following day, 28 March, within the grounds of St. Joseph’s Missions of Messiah in Africa church, located in Rongo Sub-County.

Authorities say this was done without informing his parents or employer, raising suspicion about the events leading to his death.

Following the incident, the church’s directors, Michael Kus Onyango, Luka Ochieng, Everline Gemamo, and Lilian Atieno Olal were arrested but later freed on bond as police continue investigations into Ayoo’s suspected murder.

In a separate ruling after an application by Ayoo’s family, the court directed his widow to point out the exact place in the church compound where the remains were buried. This will allow the Migori County Public Health Officer to carry out the exhumation.

The court also instructed the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kamagambo Police Station to provide security during the process. Once the body is exhumed, it will be reburied at the family’s home in Kochieng, Nyando Sub-County in Kisumu County, in line with Luo customary traditions.

Magistrates emphasized that the exhumation was necessary for a proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.

The move comes amid growing questions from both the family and the public over why a government officer was buried so quickly and without official notification to relevant authorities.

The court scheduled the matter to be mentioned again on 26 August 2025 for further directions as investigators work to piece together what happened to Constable Ayoo.