Police have intensified the search for a suspected serial killer in Yala, Siaya County, after a series of murders were reported in the last two months.
The killings have sparked fear within the larger Gem sub-county, with residents taking security precautions.
According to police sub-county commander Charles Wafula, they have narrowed down on a suspect believed to be behind the recent killings.
The police boss further noted that the suspect mainly targets women and young girls, whom he assaults sexually before killing them.
On July 11, the discovery of a decomposing human head and hands in a pit latrine at Kachola village in Sagam added to the list of recent murders.
Mr Wafula said that the body parts are suspected to belong to a 15-year-old schoolgirl at Uranga Secondary School in East Gem, who was murdered and dismembered on July 3, 2025
“A CCTV camera recorded the suspect with two girls in Yala Town on July 3. The two girls were Elizabeth Atieno and her younger sister. They had gone to pick uniforms from a shop,” said the sub-county police boss.
The three reportedly walked from Yala Town towards Ahono when Elizabeth’s sister left them to get water from a nearby homestead.
“On coming back, she did not find her sister and the suspect. She proceeded home and reported the matter to her mother. That night, Elizabeth did not return home; instead, her clothes and dismembered body parts were discovered at different places within the Sub-county the following day,” said Mr Wafula.
The police initially collected the abdomen with chopped breasts, left and right feet and arms.
The decomposing head and the hands were discovered by Kachola Village elder, Peris Ngesa, following a foul smell from her pit latrine. She lives a short distance from the home of the suspect.
The village elder informed the police, the latrine was demolished and the decomposing body parts retrieved.
“The remains are at Yala sub-county mortuary awaiting DNA test to ascertain compatibility,” he added.
The suspect is also linked to the death of Veronica Odongo, 46, whom he allegedly waylaid on July 5 and murdered. Police say the body was dumped in River Yala.
The incident occurred at Ulumbi next to the bridge; she was heading home from her business when the suspect attacked her.
“She was accosted by the suspect while crossing the footbridge at around 7pm when she was going home after closing her business. There was a struggle but we believe the suspect overpowered her and eventually killed her,” Wafula said.
The family members, who expected Veronica to be home before 8pm, began making calls to establish where she might have been without success.
After calling several times, a man picked the phone and misdirected them to Jina location.
A frantic search began the following morning, and Veronica’s blood-stained clothes were found Ulumbi. The body was retrieved two days later from River Yala.
“From our investigations, we got a cap and sports shoes at the same spot where Veronica’s clothes were found. The cap and the shoes resemble those that the suspect wore on the day he was spotted with the two girls on a CCTV camera in Yala Town. Elizabeth’s sister also confirmed this,” said Mr Wafula.
He added: “With the aid of sniffer dogs, we have also managed to get a bag we believe belongs to the suspect.”
“The suspect is also likely to be behind the killings of 17-year-old Emma Akinyi Onyango on May 26, a student at Yala Township, whose body was discovered dumped in Nyamninia next to KBC Sub-station,” said Wafula.
Emma was attacked early in the morning on her way to school; she was sexually assaulted and the body dumped.
When the body was found in the morning, her mouth was stuffed with her school socks-nothing was stolen from her.
A day later, on May 27, another female student’s body was discovered dumped on a path leading to their home in Sagam.
“The killing of Angel Mitchel, who was a student at Sagam Day Secondary School, is also linked to the same suspect. The police are alert and we shall arrest him,” said the sub-county police boss.
Mr Wafula has called on the community to be on the lookout and give police information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect.
On July 10, a mob from Bar-Kalare Village stormed the home of the suspect and torched three houses.
“A group of people from Bar Kalare came to Kanyibuop B Village at around 1100hrs. They burnt the houses belonging to the brother of the murder suspect, his uncle's house and the suspect's mother's house that was earlier partially burnt. They also slashed maize in the compound,” stated a police incident report recorded at Yala Police Station.
