Kirinyaga Village Elder Murdered, Body Dumped in Banana Plantation
- Fear has gripped Nyangio sub-location, Ndia constituency following the recent surge in cases of mysterious killings
- The latest incident was reported on Monday, May 26, when the body of a village elder was discovered in a banana plantation
- According to locals, the area had already reported two other similar cases whose bodies are yet to be buried
Fear has taken hold of Kianjege village and neighbouring areas in Nyangio sub-location, Ndia constituency in Kirinyaga county, after a string of violent killings, the most recent being the horrific murder of a village elder.
Source: Twitter
The deceased, John Kamau, from Ngandu Block, was viciously killed by unknown people.
Where was the body of the Kirinyaga village elder found?
According to Kianjege village elder Johnson Munyiri, Kamau’s body was discovered in a thick banana plantation near Githima junction on Monday, May 26.
“Initially, we did not know it was him. It was only after his wife confirmed his identity during our usual elders’ meeting that we realized that he was not present,” Munyiri explained.
Another elder, Felix Mwangi Njogu, revealed that Kamau’s murder is not an isolated case.
He said, so far, two people have been killed in the area in what he described as gruesome circumstances, and their bodies remain unburied.
“One of my neighbors was dismembered and his remains dumped on the railway tracks, apparently to mislead us into thinking he was hit by a train. Now, our village elder has also been murdered,” Njogu said with concern.
On her part, Wanjiku Wacwita expressed alarm, pointing out that the attacks were not motivated by theft.
“They are not taking anything from the victims because most have very little. This is beyond ordinary crime, it feels like we’re being targeted, and no one knows who will be next,” she said.
Frustrated residents have now called on the owner of an overgrown banana plantation to clear the land, which they say has become a hotspot for criminal activity.
Source: Original
They also called on local leaders to ensure the area has security lights as a way of addressing the rising mysterious murders.
“Without these measures, our villages remain vulnerable," a local said.
Police probe Kirinyaga murders
Confirming the incident, Kirinyaga West sub-county police commander Jos Mudavadi stated that they had launched investigation into the incident.
He also asked members of the public to work closely with law enforcement officers by providing them with information that would help lead to the arrest of the suspects.
"It is true that a village elder was killed by unknown individuals. Our security teams are actively pursuing those responsible, and we encourage residents to assist us in these efforts," Mudavadi said.
The body of the deceased was taken to Ndia Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where it is awaiting a postmortem examination.
Kirinyaga man run over by moving lorry
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported about a tragic incident where a man was run over by a moving lorry in Kirinyaga.
The middle-aged man is said to have slipped while trying to hop on to the lorry that was carrying stones.
Eyewitnesses said he died on the spot.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Valary Akoth Valary Akoth is currently serving as a Tuko Correspondent for Kiambu County. Valary has 2 years of working experience at Radio Mikai, where she served as a Radio Presenter and was responsible for hosting live radio shows, curating playlists. She also worked as a Reporter at Sky Radio from 2023 to 2024 where she covered local and regional news stories, conducted interviews, and provided on-the-ground reports. Valary covers Kiambu and Kirinyaga counties. You can reach her at valaryakoth96@gmail.com.
