Elvis Opiyo, an officer with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the prime suspect in the March 2026 acid attack on Mary Claire Ochieng, was found dead in his Umoja Two apartment in Nairobi. Authorities suspect suicide by poisoning.
Opiyo’s body was discovered lying on his back with no external injuries. Nearby, investigators found an empty plastic cup with traces of an unknown substance, a spoon, and a white chemical wrapped in nylon, believed to be poison. No suicide note was recovered.
The incident came just two days after Opiyo returned to Nairobi from his rural home following a summons by NIS. He reportedly informed his wife of his dismissal from the service in connection with the acid attack. The dismissal letter was later found near his body.
A friend, alerted by Opiyo’s wife after failed phone contact, found the officer’s body and reported the matter to Umoja Two Patrol Base. The post-mortem confirmed death by poisoning, with police classifying it as a suspected suicide. Toxicology results are pending.
Opiyo’s death follows the recent arrest and arraignment of another suspect in a separate acid attack case, in which Opiyo was previously the prime suspect. The ongoing investigation is being handled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Buruburu.
Arrangements are underway to transfer Opiyo’s body to his home region in Nyanza for burial.
