A heartbreaking domestic violence incident in Nairobi ended in tragedy when a 27-year-old lawyer, Linda Wanjiku Irungu, was shot dead by the man she once shared a home and a child with. Her final moments were witnessed by her younger sister and several other people who watched helplessly as a domestic disagreement escalated into a fatal shooting.
The incident happened in the early hours of December 12, 2014, outside Waihura Court in Buruburu Phase 5, Nairobi. The man responsible was Erastus Ngura Odhiambo, a businessman and bar owner who was later convicted of murdering the young lawyer.
Linda’s final words to the man who had just shot her were heartbreaking: “Umenishoot?” (You have shot me?)
Moments later, she collapsed onto the pavement and died.
But behind that tragic ending was a troubled relationship reportedly marked by domestic violence, jealousy and repeated disagreements.
### A young lawyer caught in a troubled relationship
Linda had grown up in Buruburu Phase 2 before pursuing a career in law. By the time she was 27, she was already practising as a lawyer and raising a young son.
She had been living with Erastus Ngura Odhiambo at House 236, Waihura Court. Odhiambo, who was known in Nairobi’s entertainment circles by nicknames such as Baba Billy, Baba B and Ediot, was a businessman with interests in the bar industry.
Their relationship was complicated by the fact that Odhiambo already had another wife living in a different section of the same estate.
He maintained in court that he considered Linda his wife and claimed to have paid some dowry. However, her family disputed that they had entered into a formal marriage.
The couple had a son together, identified in court records as Billy Odhiambo Ngura, who was living with Linda at the time of her death.
Also staying in the household were Linda’s sister, Diana Irungu Lodenyi, and two househelps, Monica and Brenda.
According to accounts later presented during investigations and court proceedings, the relationship had experienced serious difficulties long before the fatal shooting. Friends and relatives reportedly told investigators that Linda had previously complained about being physically assaulted, particularly when Odhiambo was drinking.
Despite the reported violence, she remained in the relationship.
### The night that ended in tragedy
On December 11, 2014, Linda reportedly went out with friends. Odhiambo later claimed that he had invited her to accompany him, but she declined.
He reportedly returned to their residence several times during the night looking for her.
By approximately 3:00 a.m., Linda had still not returned home. She eventually arrived at around 4:30 a.m., and an argument reportedly erupted almost immediately.
Her sister Diana was inside the residence and witnessed the confrontation.
As tensions escalated, Linda decided to leave and seek refuge at their parents’ home in Buruburu Phase 2. She got into her vehicle with Diana, intending to drive away from the compound.
However, Odhiambo allegedly intercepted them before they could leave.
According to testimony presented in court, he pulled Linda out of the moving vehicle, leaving the car rolling as the confrontation turned violent.
Several witnesses, including Diana, the two househelps and two security guards, reportedly watched as Odhiambo kicked and assaulted Linda.
He then allegedly drew a pistol.
In the moments before the shooting, Linda questioned why he always had to pull out his firearm during their disagreements.
But the confrontation took an irreversible turn when he fired a single bullet at close range, striking her in the upper right back.
Despite the devastating injury, Linda reportedly managed to look at him and ask whether he had shot her.
She then collapsed.
Witness accounts further indicated that Odhiambo continued kicking her even after she had fallen. When neighbours attempted to intervene, he reportedly warned them away.
Family members eventually arrived and rushed Linda to Jamaa Hospital, but she had already succumbed to her injuries.
### Arrested at the scene and convicted of murder
Police officers from Buruburu Police Station arrested Odhiambo at the scene shortly after the incident.
Investigators recovered the firearm, which was reportedly still warm.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Charles Muturi established that Linda died from a gunshot wound to the upper right back. The examination also documented bruises and evidence of hair being pulled, consistent with the assault that preceded the shooting.
During the trial, Odhiambo attempted to defend himself by claiming that Linda had been drunk and grabbed his firearm during their struggle, causing it to discharge accidentally.
However, the prosecution presented testimony from several eyewitnesses, including Diana, whose account helped establish what had happened during the confrontation.
The medical evidence and other circumstances surrounding the shooting also undermined his explanation.
On July 26, 2018, Justice Stella Ngali Mutuku found Odhiambo guilty of murder.
On August 1, 2018, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The case did not end there. Odhiambo challenged his conviction and sentence before the Court of Appeal. However, in April 2020, the appellate court dismissed his appeal, describing the killing as cold-blooded and observing that the 20-year sentence was, if anything, lenient.
### From businessman to prisoner pursuing higher education
Following Linda’s death, their young son remained under the care of her family, while Odhiambo was taken to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison to serve his sentence.
Interestingly, his life behind bars took an unexpected academic direction.
In May 2019, while serving his sentence, he enrolled for postgraduate studies. He subsequently completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Mount Kenya University and proceeded with further studies in project management.
His academic journey in prison has attracted attention because it demonstrates how some inmates use incarceration as an opportunity to pursue education and acquire new skills.
However, for Linda’s family, the most important chapter of her life remains the one that was tragically cut short.
She was only 27, had built a career in law and was raising a young child when her life ended in a violent domestic confrontation.
Her story remains a painful reminder of how domestic violence can escalate into irreversible tragedy, leaving children without parents, families grieving and lives permanently changed.
