University lecturer arrested after wife’s death

Fredrick Onyango Ogolla

Strathmore University lecturer Fredrick Onyango Ogolla when he appeared before the Kibera Law Courts on January 3, 2018 after he was arrested following the death of his wife.

Photo credit: Benson Matheka | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Police suspect that Dr Ogolla beat Margaret on the evening of December 31, 2017 at their Lavington home, leading to her death.

  • Nairobi County Police Commander Japheth Koome said the couple had a disagreement before they engaged in a physical fight.

  • The couple has a seven-weeks-old baby.

A lecturer at Strathmore University has been arrested after allegedly beating his wife, leading to her death on January 1.

Dr Fredrick Onyango Ogolla, a lecturer at Strathmore Business School was Wednesday morning arraigned at the Kibera Law courts but did not take plea as police applied to be allowed to detain him for ten more days, to enable them complete their investigations.

Police suspect that Dr Ogolla beat Margaret Gobi Mwachongo on the evening of December 31, 2017 at their Lavington home, leading to her death.

Nairobi County Police Commander Japheth Koome said the couple had a disagreement before they engaged in a physical fight which resulted in the woman sustaining injuries.

“She was taken to hospital unconscious after that evening fight but she succumbed to her injuries,” Mr Koome said earlier before the lecturer was arraigned in court.

In a Facebook post, Dr Ogolla said, “To my friends on FB, what happened was too painful that I have been unable to believe and that’s why I didn’t update you, my lovely wife left me and went to the lord. It’s so hurting in as much as it is hard to express. Rip my love.”

Although he did not mention the cause of her death, Dr Ogolla shared pictures of him together with his wife, captioning them ‘Memories that I now miss, really painful’.

Margaret Gobi Mwachongo (Bex Becky) who died after she was allegedly beaten by her husband during a domestic quarrel. She posted this photo on her Facebook page on December 31, 2017 and captioned it "Welcoming 2018 with (sic) full of joy and happiness". PHOTO | COURTESY | FACEBOOK

BABY

The couple has a seven-weeks-old baby.

Dr Ogolla has been serving as the Academic Director of MBA programmes, Director of the Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness and senior lecturer of Strategy and Decision Making at the Strathmore Business School.

He is also a part-time professor at various universities and colleges in and outside Kenya and works as a consultant on strategy formulation, strategy execution and change management.

Margaret and her husband Fredrick in this photo posted on her Facebook page in 2016. PHOTO | COURTESY | FACEBOOK

LAST DAYS

Friends and family took to social media to recount the last days spent with Margaret, with most of them expressing shock and grief at her sudden death.

“We spoke on 31st December. You were gone on 1st. But why is the world so evil! Why are people so heartless? And what is to become of your 6-week-old baby. Oh Bex Becky (her name on Facebook) rest with the angels. May justice be served,” a friend, Ruth Ambogo, wrote.

Actor, Image Consultant and MC Robert Burale in his condolences said, “Oh death death, death. Rest Well My Beloved friend Bex Becky...Just the other day I emceed your wedding. Fredrick Onyango Ogola. My prayers are with you bro.”