Shock as 12-year-old pupil is murdered in Kisii, tongue and genitals removed

A primary school pupil in Kisii County has been killed and his private parts and tongue removed in an incident that has shocked residents of Kerongorori Village in Kenyenya Sub-County.

The body of the 12-year-old boy at Kerongorori Primary School was found on Friday morning on the pathway to the family's home.

He had gone to school on Thursday morning but failed to return home that evening.

"We searched for him all over but failed to find him. No one had given us any word on his whereabouts," his tearful father, Mogusu Nyabuti, told the Nation.

He said he was stunned by his son's death, adding that he did not know who would want to harm the young boy.

"This is such a great shock to me. I don't know who could have done this to my son," the shaken father said.

The body was discovered at 6am by children going to school. It was lying on a pathway barely 20 metres from the chief's office.

According to witnesses, the body had been butchered, with the tongue and genitals removed.

A witness, Peter Onyambu, said children from the school where the boy studied alerted adults on discovering the body.

"When we arrived at the scene, we found [the body], still in his school uniform, but there was no blood at the scene," said Mr Onyambu.

In 2016, a man was hacked to death in the nearby Tono shopping centre.

SECOND KILLING

"This is the second killing around here in less than a year. We are worried for our safety, especially for our school-going children," said Mr Onyambu.

On discovering the body, shocked residents then notified Assistant Chief Esther Ontuga, who notified the police.

Kisii County Police Commander Agnes Mudambah said the child could have been killed elsewhere and the body dumped at the spot where it was discovered.

She told the Nation that the minor's tongue and genitals had been removed. He also had bruises around his neck, an indicator that he could have been been strangled.

"There were no signs of a struggle at the scene where we discovered the body. We suspect the minor was killed elsewhere and then dumped there," said Ms Mudambah.

Police moved the body to the Nyamache Hospital mortuary, where it will be preserved awaiting a post-mortem.

So far, no suspects have been arrested but police say investigations were under way.

Ms Mudambah urged parents to be more careful when sending their children to school.

"All parents should immediately report to the authorities when something suspicious like the disappearance of a child occurs.

"That will help us begin the effort of tracing the missing children early enough and hopefully catch up with them before they are harmed," said Ms Mudambah.