She Returned Home After a Night Shift. Hours Later, 24-Year-Old Berine Sylvia Achieng’ Aoko Was Found Dead.
What should have been an ordinary Friday after a long night at work turned into a heartbreaking tragedy that continues to haunt a family still searching for justice.
On the afternoon, the partially burned body of 24-year-old Berine Sylvia Achieng’ Aoko was discovered on her bed inside her apartment in Utawala, Nairobi. The young procurement graduate had spent the previous night working at Swissport, taking demanding shifts to earn a living and support her family back in Homa Bay County.
According to investigators, Berine returned home that morning after completing her night shift. CCTV footage reportedly showed her entering the apartment, where her former boyfriend was allegedly already inside. It would be the last time she was seen alive.
Hours later, at around 2:40 p.m., neighbors noticed smoke coming from her apartment. Alarmed by the smell, they alerted the caretaker, who forced the door open. Inside, Berine was found lifeless on her bed. Investigators later reported signs of assault and what they believe was an attempt to set the room on fire. Her iPhone 13 and laptop, which she had with her when she returned home, were reportedly missing.
Berine’s life had been defined by resilience. Raised in modest circumstances in Homa Bay County, she had already endured the devastating loss of her father in 2019. Despite the hardship, she completed her university education and worked tirelessly to help provide for her widowed mother and younger siblings. Friends remember her as a hardworking, compassionate young woman who rarely turned away someone in need.
Police identified her former boyfriend, Collins Nato Nyongesa, as the main suspect in the investigation. The two had reportedly dated while Berine was still in high school before ending their relationship. According to family members and friends, he later sought temporary accommodation, saying he had nowhere else to stay, and Berine allowed him to move into her apartment. They reportedly lived together for about three months, during which Berine is said to have paid the rent, bought food, and met most of the household expenses.
Those close to Berine said the relationship had already ended from her perspective and that she had moved on with her life. They also stated that she had been communicating regularly with a man living in Canada and was looking forward to a new chapter.
Investigators say CCTV footage later captured the suspect leaving the apartment alone. Police allege he was the last known person to have been with Berine before her death. An autopsy concluded that she died from injuries sustained during the assault and not from the fire. Medical findings reportedly indicated there was no soot in her lungs, suggesting the fire was started after she had already died. The burns covered approximately 18 percent of her body.
Following the incident, the suspect allegedly disappeared and has remained wanted by authorities. Police investigations into the case have continued.
For Berine’s family, the loss has been almost impossible to bear. Her mother, Lorna Akoth, and her sister, Emma Achieng’, learned of the tragedy through frantic phone calls from her workplace before travelling from Homa Bay to Nairobi. They have repeatedly appealed for justice, expressing frustration over the pace of the investigation and hoping that those responsible will eventually be held accountable.
The family had barely recovered from burying Berine’s father when they were forced to say goodbye to yet another loved one. This time, it was the daughter who had become one of their greatest sources of hope and support.
When Berine was finally laid to rest, she was buried outside the family homestead in accordance with the Luo cultural tradition observed by her family, under which an unmarried daughter is not buried within the main family compound.
More than three years later, Berine Sylvia Achieng’ Aoko’s story remains a painful reminder of a promising young life cut short. Her family continues to seek answers, hoping that one day the full truth surrounding her death will be established and justice will finally be served.
