Inside troubled career of slain ex-Siaya clerk
Nyanza
By
Isaiah Gwengi
| Aug 20, 2025
On the night of August 18, the quiet of Kombewa in Seme sub-county was shattered by gunfire. Police officers, responding to what they believed was yet another burglary attempt at White House Resort, opened fire on a figure they mistook for an intruder.
When the dust settled, the man on the ground was not a criminal but Felix Isaac Olwero, a former Clerk of the Siaya County Assembly, a man who had spent years battling accusations of corruption, political intrigue and legal fights.
His death, sudden and tragic, closed a story that had begun more than a decade earlier with promise, descended into scandal and ended in irony.
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Olwero was appointed as the first Clerk of the Siaya County Assembly on July 30, 2014. He was the administrative head of the House responsible for finances, staffing and legislative support.
But by March 2019, his career was in peril. The County Assembly Service Board, chaired by Speaker George Okode, suspended him for gross misconduct over the disappearance of Sh2.9 million from the Assembly’s Car Loan and Mortgage Fund.
In the suspension letter, he was ordered to explain within 21 days how the money had been withdrawn from the Cooperative Bank, Siaya branch.
Olwero denied the allegations. In a March 11, 2019 response, he said the funds were used for car loans, Sh2million to one officer, Zilpa Omondi and another allocation to himself. But the Board pressed on, recommending his removal from office.
Olwero turned to the courts. In 2021, Justice Radido Stephen of the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that his suspension and removal were procedurally flawed.
The judge found that the Board had failed to furnish him with clear charges and supporting evidence, as required by law.
The court declared him the bona fide Clerk of the Assembly. For a moment, Olwero appeared vindicated.
But the victory was fleeting. Instead of reinstating him, the Assembly Service Board quickly interdicted him afresh, setting off a new cycle of disciplinary proceedings.
Beyond the labour courts, Olwero faced criminal accusations of unauthorized creation and issuance of false documents.
That case dragged on until April 11, 2024, when Senior Principal Magistrate Lester Simiyu ordered its withdrawal. Acting on advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
For Olwero, the dismissal of the criminal case should have marked the end of his troubles. But instead, it triggered a new onslaught.
Barely a day later, on April 12, 2024, the County Assembly Service Board resolved to interdict Olwero for three months.
In May 2024, the Assembly delivered the final blow. The House debated a Special Committee report that accused him of deliberately concealing the Sh2.9 million transactions from the Assembly’s financial statements..The House unanimously adopted the motion, officially revoking Olwero’s appointment as Clerk.
In just one month, he had been cleared by a court, interdicted by the Board and finally removed by the Assembly. With his career in public service destroyed, Olwero retreated into business. He focused on managing White House Resort in Kombewa, a property that became his new identity.
Sources said the resort has experienced a spate of burglaries, leaving him constantly on edge. According to police report, Olwero rushed to the scene following yet another attempted break-in and in the alleged confusion, police mistook him for a suspect and shot him dead.
On Tuesday, Siaya Governor James Orengo condemned the heinous act, demanding swift and thorough investigations to ensure justice is served.