What was meant to be a normal weekend for 11-year-old Glorious Kaiza turned tragic after she went missing on Saturday, only for her body to be found early Sunday morning stuffed in a bag at Mjambere in Kisauni Sub-County in Mombasa.
Her family and neighbours, still shocked by the turn of events, said that the girl disappeared under unclear circumstances. She was outside playing with her friends, and the next minute she was gone.
At the time, her mother, Ms Elizabeth Barnabas, was away on her usual hustle of hawking porridge to earn a living. She returned home in the evening and found that her daughter was not around.
The body of 11-year-old Glorious Kaiza was found dumped in the Manyani area of Mishomoroni in Mombasa.
Photo credit: Pool
This prompted neighbours to mount a search party until late at night, when they decided to file a missing person's report at the Junda Police Post. According to neighbours, the police asked them to return at daybreak.
This was never to be. Ms Barnabas' worst nightmare came early on Sunday morning when a boda boda rider called to inform her that a minor's body had been discovered by police in a field about two kilometres away.
She rushed to the scene and found officers processing the area before confirming that it was her missing daughter.
“Whoever killed my daughter, why did you do it? What wrong have I ever done to you? This is a horrific incident that will live in me forever,” she cried.
Elizabeth Barnabas was surrounded by friends and neighbours at her home in Mishomoroni, Mombasa, on Sunday, March 15, 2026, crying uncontrollably after her child's body was found. The body of 11-year-old Glorious Kaiza was found early on Sunday morning, stuffed in a bag in Mjambere, Kisauni Sub County, Mombasa.
Photo credit: Peter Wainaina | Nation
Her neighbour, Ms Habiba, who was also present during the retrieval of the body, said they had searched for the girl until midnight before deciding to visit Junda Police Post to report the incident.
They were, however, told by officers manning the station to go back home and return in the morning to record a formal statement.
“First thing when I woke up on Sunday, I received a phone call from someone who was going to church telling me Glorious' body had been found. I was scared to tell her mother because by that time she was still crying uncontrollably and traumatised from losing her child for the first time,” said Ms Habiba.
Kisauni Sub-County Police Commander Francis Muriithi, while confirming the incident, said the body of the Grade Five pupil at Buriani Primary School was found in the Manyani area wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a carrier bag.
“It was around 10:00am when we received a report about the body of a young girl near Mjambere. We dispatched a team of officers and preliminary findings confirmed that it was Glorious Kaiza who had been reported missing on Saturday,” said Mr Muriithi.
Elizabeth Barnabas was surrounded by friends and neighbours at her home in Mishomoroni, Mombasa, on Sunday, March 15, 2026, crying uncontrollably after her child's body was found.
Photo credit: Peter Wainaina | Nation
Detectives from the crime scene investigation unit, accompanied by other security agencies, discovered that the body had been blindfolded, with both hands and legs tied with a rope and a piece of cloth around the neck.
They also found that pieces of cloth were stuffed in the mouth, believed to have been used to gag the victim and prevent her from shouting or screaming. The scene was documented, and crucial evidence was obtained, including blood stains, for further analysis.
The body of 11-year-old Glorious Kaiza was found dumped in the Manyani area of Mishomoroni in Mombasa.
Photo credit: Pool
Although police say it is an isolated incident and have vowed that justice will be served, residents are demanding action to improve security, which they claim has worsened in the area. The girl's body was taken to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, awaiting an autopsy.
Human rights activists demanded stringent laws to severely punish offenders involved in such criminal activities. Vocal Africa Rapid Response Officer Walid Sketty said such incidents need to be averted long before they happen.
