Jack Anyago Ochieng, one of the famous Kitengela Four, whose body is yet to be recovered after going missing on April 19, 2021, is an alumni of Chianda Boys located in Rarieda constituency, Siaya County.
The Chianda High School alumni WhatsApp group has been busy – with former schoolmates taking time to remember a man they spent an entire four years – from Form 1-4.
His schoolmates say that he was an imposing yet delicate figure in school – and was hard to miss.
“I suppose he joined Form 1 probably in 1999 and left I suppose in 2002,” a source who joined the school later told Mwanahabari.co.ke
Jack was the grandson of former South Nyanza Council Chairman Mzee Anyago whose family shaped Nyanza politics from the 1940s.
“Jack was named after his grandfather Anyago who owned large swathes of land in the middle of Homa Bay town.
“I don’t understand why he may have decided to engage in clandestine activities – hanging out with people with questionable characters when his grandfather was a rich man,” said the source.
Of the four alleged gang members – the police have not directly linked Jack to any crime or though there were in the media alleging that the four were linked to a spate of criminal activities in Mombasa and other towns.
The bodies of Elijah Obuong, 35, and Benjamin Imbayi were both retrieved by police from different locations on Thursday, 29 April and identified by family at two morgues.
Obuong’s body was recovered while stuffed in a sack near Mathioya river in Muranga while the body of 30yr old Imbayi was positively identified at General Kago Funeral Home in Thika.
The body of Brian Oduor was discovered in Murang’a on Saturday, evening, May 1. A source told this writer that is hand was missing, possibly chopped off.
Others who knew Jack (whose body is yet to be found) described him as a free spirit who knew how to talk nicely – and often chose his words very carefully to ensure they did not come back empty handed.
“I doubt if I could touch a gun – and even spill blood to get his way. I know he could convince people because he was a smooth talker – but he was never the one to harm anyone,” a source close to the family said.
It is therefore not surprising that of the famous Kitengela Four – his name has not really featured as a hardcore criminal who had given police gray hair.
The team’s leader Brian Oduor, popularly known as “Champe” derived from the word ‘Champion’ and Amache Imbai are said to have had active court cases at the Mavoko and Kibera Law Courts.
A source told Mwanahabari.co.ke that Brian was the face of the gang – and had on many occasions been the one police were looking for whenever crime was committed.
“He didn’t like the fact that they would do stuff together – and only his name and face would be paraded at police stations while the others remained behind the scene,” a source who did not wish to be named told this writer.
Police also noted that Imbai had been arrested in 2020 after a gang broke into a vehicle at a car yard on Ngong road in Nairobi and stole Ksh900,000 from a vehicle yard in Ngong.
Adding: “The lad would sit down just to have a pedicure done on him – and often wore expensive italian shoes and clothes that smelled good. He just loved a good life – and a good life needs tons of money to maintain.”
According to his schoolmates – Jack was a no-nonsense school captain who loved good looks – and was so eloquent that his speech during the assembly would move even the mathematics teacher.
“I joined Form One in 2001 and Jack was already there as Nyagah House captain. I think he was in Form Three,” one of his former schoolmates who was in the same prefects council told Mwanahabari.co.ke.
“All of us kept quiet whenever Jack was addressing the students. You just had to keep quiet and listen. The teachers too seemed intimidated by his diminor. He was like a mini-teacher dressed in a school uniform. His command of the queen’s language was impeccable.”
“He was a very clean guy – but would flog students who broke the law…. He would flog you with a leather belt,” the former schoolmate told this writer.
“I was shocked to see his picture in the news. He has not changed much… he is still that handsome young man…
His former schoolmates said that Jack often stood out among his peers at school not because of his academic prowess – but rather due to his good looks and his official dressing mannerism.
Jack was, however, not loved across the scene – with a group of women taking to the social media to claim that Jack had swindled them of their hard earned money and that Karma had gotten back at him.
“…. Ndiyo huyo conman wetu amepewa lift kwa Sir God..” stated one lady.
According to the source – Jack had a way with women – and knew how to win their hearts and minds.
“It’s possible most of his victims were women… because he was so very handsome and a smooth talker,” the source said.
Jack lived in a one bedroom house in Nairobi’s Donholm area.