KISUMU, Kenya May 7 – Police in Kisumu have arrested seven suspects accused of attempting to illegally exhume the body of a woman buried last month in the Manyatta area of Kisumu East Sub County.
The dramatic incident unfolded on Wednesday evening when the group allegedly arrived at the homestead and began digging up the grave without a court order or authorization from local authorities.
Alarmed residents quickly mobilized and stopped the exercise before notifying police.
According to local administrator Alfred Omollo, preliminary investigations suggest the attempted exhumation may have been linked to a land ownership dispute involving the parcel where the woman was buried.
“We received reports that the land where the deceased was laid to rest had allegedly been sold to a new owner, who is suspected to have been uncomfortable with the presence of the grave on the property,” Omollo said.
Police officers later arrived at the scene and supervised the reburial process after the body had reportedly been partially removed from the grave.
Residents expressed shock over the incident, noting that several of the individuals involved were unfamiliar faces within the neighborhood.
“We were surprised to see strangers attempting to exhume a body at night without informing the family, the community, or local administrators,” one resident said.
The seven suspects were taken into custody and detained at Kisumu East Sub County police headquarters pending arraignment as investigations continue.
