Three charged with murder of Venezuelan envoy in Kenya

Kenya's prosecutors on Friday charged three suspects with the murder of a top Venezuelan diplomat who was found strangled in her residence in Nairobi in July. However, Ahmed Mutivane Omido, Alex Sifuma Wanyonyi and Moses Kiprotich Walya did not enter a plea because two of the accused were not represented by a lawyer. The suspects were ordered to remain in custody until Nov. 8 when they will be expected to make a plea. Six suspects have so far been charged with the murder of the Venezuelan Ambassador to Kenya Olga Fonseca Gimenez. They were charged that on the night of July 26 and 27 jointly with others not in the court murder the 57-year envoy by strangling her in her residence in Nairobi. First Secretary at the Venezuela embassy in Nairobi Dwight Ashrubal Saragay who had leadership wrangles with the deceased has been charged with the murder. Saragay's was charged after the authorities in the East African nation lifted his diplomatic impunity as he is being treated as a suspect in the murder case. Gimenez arrived in Nairobi on July 15 to replace Ambassador Gerardo Carillo Silva who had been accused by his staff of sexual harassment. The new envoy had not been given a police escort nor was her residence guarded by police and she had been staying at a hotel and had only moved to the ambassador's residence two days before her death. Gimenez was appointed to act as ambassador after Silva who was implicated in a sexual harassment claims had left the East African nation two months ago. The staff at the embassy had formally filed complaint with the police alleging sexual harassment by Silva, the allegations which forced him out of the country. Sources at the Venezuela's embassy said the late diplomat was found tied with wires around her feet and neck and refused to elaborate, saying the ongoing investigations would unravel more details.