Six witnesses have testified before the Garissa High Court in the murder trial of a 17-year-old refugee girl, Gaala Adan, whose death has drawn attention to cases of child marriage and domestic violence in refugee settlements.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) lined up the six witnesses, including the deceased’s mother Amina Abdi Noor, her stepfather Mahamud Mohamed, landlady Qurisha Ibrahim, two neighbours and Corporal Lucas Musambi, the investigating officer.
According to Noor, her daughter was born on January 1, 2008, and was married to the first accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, on February 22, 2025, at Dagahaley Refugee Camp in a ceremony conducted under Somali rites.
However, the union reportedly turned violent soon after, as the teenager expressed regret and resisted the marriage arrangement.
Noor told the court that her daughter had sent her several voice notes in the days leading up to her death, expressing fear and frustration over domestic abuse.
Their final conversation took place on the same night she died.
One neighbour testified that on the night of the incident, one of the accused persons informed him that Tiffow had been stabbed by his wife.
On rushing to the scene, they found Mohammed Kassim Tiffow outside the house with stab wounds and took him to hospital.
When they returned, they discovered that the house where the deceased had been locked inside was on fire.
Despite efforts to rescue her, Gaala sustained severe burns and died shortly after.
The deceased’s stepfather, Mohamed, told the court that he had been informed of persistent abuse in the marriage.
He said Gaala’s body was so badly burnt that he could not recognise her when it was brought home.
Investigating officer Musambi testified that police recovered a knife at the scene, photographed the area and collected key pieces of evidence.
He witnessed the postmortem, which was conducted on March 22, 2025, before releasing the body for burial.
He further confirmed that statements were recorded from all witnesses, and that after investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the three accused were arrested and arraigned before the Wajir Magistrate’s Court.
The case was later transferred to the Garissa High Court, where they were formally charged with murder.
The accused Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, Mussa Sheikh Ahmed and Adan Mohamme Ahmed are charged with the murder of Gaala Adan on March 22, 2025, at Lolkuta South Sublocation, Wara Location, Hadado Subcounty, within Wajir county.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Bonny Okemwa and Principal Prosecution Counsel Benard Owuor.
All three accused have pleaded not guilty before Justice John Onyiego and were each released on a bond of Sh100,000.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 4, 2025.
