A late-night police response to a reported break-in at Whitehouse Resort in Seme, Kisumu County, turned tragic in the early hours of Monday morning, August 18, 2025, when former Siaya County Assembly Clerk, Felix Isaac Olwero, 50, was fatally shot by officers in a suspected case of mistaken identity. The incident has sparked widespread concern and demands for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Olwero’s death.
Olwero, who also owned the Whitehouse Resort, was reportedly responding to reports of a break-in at his premises when police mistook him for one of the intruders and opened fire. This marked the fifth attempted break-in at the resort in recent times, according to management.
Police reports indicate that officers from Kombewa Police Station were dispatched to the scene following a distress call from the resort’s manager, Sandra Okech. Upon arrival, the officers cordoned off the rear side of the property.
Moments later, they spotted a group of men emerging from a nearby thicket, allegedly armed with pangas and other crude weapons. Police claim that one of the individuals charged toward them, prompting an officer to discharge his weapon. It was later discovered that the individual fatally shot was Olwero himself, who had stepped out to assess the situation at his resort. The suspected break-in reportedly fled the scene during the ensuing chaos.
The news of Olwero’s death has sent shockwaves through Siaya and Kisumu counties, where he was widely known. Friends, family, and colleagues have expressed profound grief and called for accountability, describing the shooting as unjustified and reckless. Fidel Omondi, a close friend of Olwero, mourned his passing in an emotional tribute. “In the middle of the night, around 1 a.m., we received the sad news that you had been shot. This has broken me because you were always my pillar and motivator. Go well, my friend,” Omondi wrote on Facebook.
Olwero’s career in public service was marked by turbulence. Employed as Siaya County Assembly Clerk in July 2014, he faced allegations of gross misconduct and irregular withdrawal of funds, leading to a suspension in 2019.
Although the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu later reinstated him, the County Assembly Service Board maintained that fresh disciplinary proceedings could be pursued. In May 2024, Siaya Members of the County Assembly unanimously resolved to remove him from office on grounds of alleged gross violation of the Constitution, gross misconduct, and misbehavior. Olwero challenged this decision in court, but his lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the matter, with Olwero’s body transferred to the Kombewa Subcounty Referral Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examinatio. The police have yet to confirm whether any of the actual suspects involved in the attempted break-in were apprehended.
Residents and the resort’s management have urged for increased police patrols to curb the recurring robbery attempts in the area.
