A Kitui court on Thursday ordered a university employee being held over the death of her husband to be detained for seven days.
Kitui principal magistrate Johnson Munguti granted a request by detectives to hold Salome Kanini as they question her about the murder of Benjamin Kanyali on Wednesday.
Kanini works at the accounts department of South Eastern Kenya University. Kanyali was an official of the National Youth Council in Kitui Rural constituency.
Munguti directed that the suspect be returned to court on April 25. She is held at Itoleka police station in Katulani subcounty, Kitui county.
Police on Wednesday arrested the wife of the late youth leader Kanyali whose lifeless body was found partially burned and dumped in a thicket near Katulani in Kitui.
The wife was arrested as police said they were pursuing six other individuals implicated in his death.
Katulani subcounty police commander Eric Ng’etich said the suspect was being held to establish the late Kanyali’s last movements.
Ngetich said the body of Kinyali had burns on the chest and hands. It is believed his killer set a used car tyre on his chest and doused his body in a petrol then set it ablaze.
“His body was discovered by passers-by in Kavou village who alerted police officers from Itoleka police station in Katulani subcounty,” Ngetich said.
A police officer privy to the investigations said Kinyali was last seen on Tuesday evening drinking at Vanilla Bar in Kitui town with friends. The police sources said friends later dropped him at his home at around 11 pm.
Kitui county National Youth Council chairman Aggrey Nzomo on Thursday mourned his departed colleague.
