Ritual killing? Missing girl found dead – outrage in Kakamega, Kenya

Police take away the body of nine-year-old Sharlyne Mwanzia found on March 16, 2018 in a water tank behind her parents’ house in Scheme Estate, Kakamega (Kenya). She had been missing since March 11. PHOTO | BENSON AMADALA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

March 16, 2018
By Jackline Inyanji
Jinyanji@standardmedia.co.ke

Ritual killing? Outrage in Kakamega as missing girl found dead in water tank

There was uproar as 9 year old Sharlene Mwanzia, a standard three pupil at ST Joseph’s Academy who went missing on Sunday was found dead.

The victim body was found dumped in a water tank behind her parents rented home in scheme estate.

Uncle to the victim, Oscar Mulu said he heard a foul smell and called on other residents who helped to identify where it was originating from.

“We checked around the plot and found the smell was coming from the suspect house and the water tank behind the house. We checked the tank and saw the body around 3pm on Friday,” he said.

He alerted the police who came and removed the body which has been taken to Kakamega county referral hospital for post mortem.

“It is difficult to establish the kidnappers’ intentions. The most painful bit is that it was planned by a neighbour who is also a tenant here,” he said.

When the body was found, residents protested by burning the suspect beddings, utensils and clothes.

The enraged residents also set ablaze property belonging to the suspect’s family including a storey building he had put up for rentals. Tenants were forced to vacate the building and seek refuge elsewhere.

The house of the father to the suspect is set ablaze

Police officers led by OCPD Joseph Chebii struggled to keep the angry crowd at bay, as they ferried the body to the mortuary.

“We are still investigating the matter and we urge the public who knows the whereabouts of the suspect to alert officers,” he said.

The girl’s father, Oswald Mwanzia and the mother left with the police to record statement at the police station.

“We cannot continue losing innocent children because of laxity and selfish people. Security should be beefed up for the sake of our children safety.”

A resident, Mary Khakasa said they are worried of their children safety and asked police to beef up security and prosecute the suspects.

“The kidnappers are targeting school going children who are not accompanied by adults. Parents are worried their children might become victims of the suspected Satanists. It seems the body was strangled and cut before being thrown in the tank,” Khakasa said.

The nine year old was playing with her two younger brothers in their compound on Sunday when she went missing.

Neighbours said a stranger had approached the girl and was seen talking to her at the gate before she went missing.

They said the man has been approaching young girls in the estate and trying to lure them to accompany him.

Occurrences of ritual killings in Kakamega, which are linked to devil worshipping, have caused panic among residents.

In June 2014, the body of Deborah Achieng, a standard seven pupil at Nabongo Primary School, was found mutilated. Some of her body parts were chopped off and dumped at a church’s entrance in Kakamega on a Sunday morning.

The 12-year-old girl’s murder led to several protests by residents who blamed the police for laxity and failure to arrest the culprits.

A suspect was arrested and later released by police, leading to more protests from angry residents.

In March 2014, Kakamega residents also witnessed a bizarre incident where a child aged six was found murdered and his body dumped in a trench in the town.

The same year, a nursery school pupil at Bridge Academy was also found dumped in a trench after missing for a day.

The father of the suspect linked to disappearance of a nine year old girl is currently in police custody. He was arrested on Wednesday when residents attacked his home wanting to know where the suspect is.

Source:
Ritual killing? Outrage in Kakamega as missing girl found dead in water tank
SDE Entertainment News (Kenya)
By Jackline Inyanji
March 16, 2018

Kakamega, Kenya

Another newspaper reporting on the same crime:
Body of missing Kakamega girl, 9, found in water tank
Daily Nation (Kenya)
By Benson Amadala
March 16, 2018

Police in Kakamega on Friday recovered the body of a nine-year old girl who had been missing for five days. Sharlyne Mwanzia was found dumped in a water tank just behind her parents’ rented house in Kakamega’s Scheme Estate.

Recovered
Her uncle Oscar Mulu said he went to inspect the cause of a foul smell coming from the tank at around 3pm and saw the body.

The finding caused a commotion as a crowd bayed for the blood of a man suspected to have killed the girl.

Police officers led by OCPD Joseph Chebii struggled to keep the angry crowd at bay, as they ferried the body to the mortuary.

The girl’s disappearance had caused her parents agony and residents marched in protest on Wednesday to demand police action.

Search
Sharlyne, a standard three pupil, was playing with her two younger brothers in their compound on Sunday when she went missing.

Neighbours said a stranger had approached the girl and was seen talking to her at the gate before she went missing. They said the man has been approaching young girls in the estate and trying to lure them to accompany him.

Sharlyne’s father Oswald Mwanzia, a trader in Kakamega, said he and neighbours searched for the girl in the whole the estate but they did not find her. He said police officers visited the home of a suspect on Sunday night but did not find him.
“We found the father of the suspect who was seen talking to my daughter but he denied his son had anything to do with the disappearance,” Mr Mwanzia said.

Kakamega Central deputy police chief Jonah Sitienei said they are investigating.

On Friday, a mob set on fire the house of the suspect’s father.

Ritual Killings
The murder rekindled memories of suspected ritual killings.
Five years ago, three girls were killed and their mutilated bodies found dumped in the estate sparking protests in Kakamega Town.
Three years ago, the county was again hit by an upsurge of disappearances and bizarre killing of girls.
The bodies were found dumped in maize and sugarcane plantations.
Cases of girls being defiled and later murdered were reported in Butere, Likuyani, Lugari, Lurambi and Shinyalu.

Body
Earlier in the week, another village in Kakamega County was in shock after the mutilated body of a nine-year-old girl was found in a bush.
The girl went missing a week earlier from her home in neighbouring Nandi North Sub-County.
Villagers stumbled on a jaw and two legs lying next to clothes the girl was wearing before she disappeared.

Police officers who visited the scene were trying to establish whether wild animals had eaten up parts of the girl’s body and what could have caused her death. They are investigating.

Source:
Body of missing Kakamega girl, 9, found in water tank
Daily Nation, March 16 2018