Man found half-naked, fatally injured in Meru maize plantation

Police in Imenti East, Meru County, are investigating the death of a 42-year-old man who was found with serious injuries and abandoned in a maize plantation near Kabaone One Shopping Centre.

According to police, members of the public alerted officers on Tuesday morning after finding the victim lying helpless behind the shopping centre within Nthamiri Sub-Location.

Police officers who responded to the scene found Francis Mutua, 42, lying on the ground inside a maize plantation with serious injuries to the head, face, buttocks and both legs.

Police further stated that the deceased had no clothes on the lower part of his body when he was found.

The victim was rescued and rushed to Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body was later moved to the hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination.

Police said investigations into the incident have commenced and efforts to trace those involved are ongoing.

In a separate incident, a 28-year-old man died after a tyre reportedly slipped from a pickup truck and struck him on the head along Uganda Road in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

The incident occurred at about 5.20 pm on Tuesday at a petrol station, according to police.

Police said the pickup truck was transporting tyres and was leaving the station when one of the tyres allegedly slid, forcing the rear door open.

The deceased, identified as Benjamin Otieno, was seated on the back door when he reportedly fell to the ground, and the tyre struck him on the head, causing severe injuries.

The driver rushed him to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

The vehicle was detained at the station pending investigations.

Meanwhile, police in Mwea East, Kirinyaga County, launched investigations after the body of an unidentified man was spotted floating in River Rupingazi at Mugamba Ciura South.

According to police, the incident was reported at about 7.30 pm on Tuesday.

Officials who visited the scene established that the body of an unidentified African adult male was trapped between rocks at the centre of the river.

Police said the body was naked and was retrieved on Wednesday.

Divers from Embu County were called in to assist in the retrieval operation after it emerged that Kirinyaga County had no available divers at the time.

Elsewhere, police in Vihiga County arrested a suspect in connection with the death of a 40-year-old man whose body was found with serious injuries in Hamisi Sub-County.

The incident was reported after a body was discovered lying adjacent to a house in the Ivole area of Gisambai Location.

Police officers visited the scene and identified the deceased as Godfrey Mwanziki.

The body was found lying in a supine position with visible injuries to the head and both legs.

Investigators later arrested a suspect in connection with the incident.

The body was moved to Mbale Hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination as detectives from DCI Hamisi continue with investigations.