Detectives Arrest Suspect in Derrick Omanga Murder Probe Eight Months After Death

Detectives investigating the death of 25-year-old digital marketing manager Derrick Omanga Tom have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the disappearance and subsequent sale of the victim's phone.

Jared Kulo Oduor was arrested on Friday night in the Lakisummer area following months of surveillance, according to reports. He is being held at Muthaiga Police Station and is expected to appear before the Makadara Law Courts on Monday.

Investigators believe Oduor sold Omanga's missing phone six days after the young man disappeared.

The phone was later recovered through another suspect who had been arrested in Kangeta village, Meru County. Investigators say the Meru suspect led them to Oduor.

Phone trail gives detectives a breakthrough

Detectives are now analysing phone data from the period before and after Omanga's death, while also reviewing CCTV footage in an effort to establish the movements of those who were with him on the night he disappeared.

The investigation is also seeking to establish whether Oduor was among the people captured in CCTV footage with Omanga before his death.

Omanga disappeared on the evening of December 5, 2025, after a night out. His body was found at about 2am the following day near the Roysambu roundabout.

Police initially treated the death as a possible road accident, but his family disputed that account and pushed for further investigations.

A post-mortem examination established that Omanga died from multiple injuries caused by blunt-force trauma. However, the findings did not conclusively establish whether the injuries resulted from an accident or an assault.

CCTV captures final movements

CCTV footage from Wine Tails liquor store along Ngong Road reportedly captured some of Omanga's final known movements.

At about 10:37pm, he was seen going upstairs while holding a woman's hand, with a man wearing a cap following closely behind.

Subsequent footage reportedly showed the man in the cap handing the woman a drink, while Omanga appeared to check his bag.

The group later left the premises.

Reports indicate that they subsequently moved to a club along Thika Road. The woman reportedly became unwell and left, while Omanga remained with the man in the cap.

Hours later, Omanga's body was found by the roadside. His phone and laptop were missing.

Family continues to seek answers

For months, Omanga's family has called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death and the people who were last seen with him.

The recovery and subsequent tracing of his phone has now provided detectives with a new line of inquiry, resulting in two arrests and potentially identifying other people who could help investigators piece together what happened.

Police have not indicated that Oduor has been charged or established his culpability in Omanga's death. His arrest and the phone trail remain part of an ongoing investigation.

Detectives are continuing to analyse phone records and CCTV footage, and more arrests could follow as they seek to establish what happened to Omanga in the final hours of his life.

For his family, the latest arrest offers a significant breakthrough — but the central question remains unanswered: what happened to Derrick Omanga between the time he left for a night out and when his body was found near Roysambu?