KISUMU, Kenya, Dec 12 — Police in Siaya County have launched investigations into the brutal murder of a 7-year-old boy in Gem.
In response, irate members of the public burned down two houses belonging to the suspect linked to the murder.
Tom Aruwa, a local administrator of Nyabeda sub-location, reported that the boy’s body was discovered this morning in a thicket.
Aruwa stated that the boy’s parents had reported him missing yesterday evening.
“The family could not find him last night and went to bed, hoping he would return in the morning,” he said.
Family members began a search on Thursday morning and found the body in a nearby thicket.
The discovery alarmed villagers, who gathered at the scene and marched to the home of Dominic Odhiambo. The villagers accused Odhiambo’s 28-year-old son of committing the murder.
“I warn the public against destroying property in such cases. Let the law take its course,” Aruwa cautioned.
The two houses were completely burned, with nothing salvaged, as the homestead’s owner fled to protect himself and his family.
Aruwa added that earlier in the week, the suspect had been caught stealing bananas from the boy’s family farm.
“The family warned him of severe consequences if he continued stealing from their plantation,” he said.
This incident led villagers to suspect him of kidnapping and killing the boy.
“The body showed signs of strangulation, but the cause of death will be determined after a post-mortem examination,” Aruwa explained.
Police took the boy’s body to Yala Sub-County Hospital as they intensified their search for the suspect, who remains at large.
