Police in Usare village, Kisumu West, have exhumed the body of an unknown man suspected to have been murdered and buried in an unfinished house.
Residents crowded the crime scene on Monday evening to witness the incident, which left them in fear. The body could not be immediately identified. Nobody had been reported missing in the area.
Kisumu West Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Abedi Kavo said the police were informed by members of the public of a foul smell that was emanating from a house.
However, the officers later traced the smell to another house within the same neighbourhood. The owner of the house was arrested. Also nabbed was a suspect found with clothing linked to the incident.
"According to investigations, it's like the body was initially dumped under a tree a few metres away from the main suspect's house but was later buried in the second suspect's house after residents complained about a foul smell in the area,” Kavo said.
He said they had to take time to exhume the body because they had not received a court order to do so. The police have yet to establish the motive behind the killing. Investigations are underway.
Already, the arrested suspects are being interrogated and will remain in police custody for the next seven days. Kavo urged residents to volunteer information to help the police unravel the mystery.
“We have requested the court to allow us to hold the suspects for seven days as we conclude our investigations,” he said.
Joseph Otieno, a resident, asked the police to intensify patrols to ensure security is maintained to avert similar incidents. Similar requests were made by Mary Akoth, who expressed fear and urged the police to act swiftly.
"We are surprised that such a thing can happen just before us, yet nobody noticed a thing, until the foul smell. We have never witnessed such a thing in our village," Akoth said.
Nominated MCA Jenifer Obonyo said the incident has created fear in the village. She urged security officers to conduct thorough investigations and ensure perpetrators face the full arm of the law.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
