Police pursue suspected serial killer as 20 people murdered

Police officers inspect a scene of murder in Kakamega county. Residents are living in fear over rising insecurity in the region. [File, Standard] Police officers in Kakamega are pursuing a man believed to be behind suspected ritual murders that have left over 20 people dead in one month. Majority of the victims are night guards who have been murdered in cold blood at their work places. Detectives are exploring the ritualistic killings theory in the manner in which the attacks are executed and the fact that nothing is stolen from the victims. The mode of attacks has been the same, where victims are left with deep cuts at the back of their necks or, in some cases, the victims' private parts are chopped off, their eyes gouged out, and their bodies dumped on the road. The series of attacks has sent shivers to locals after another night guard was killed on Tuesday at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Jua Kali Township area in the outskirts of Kakamega town. Shockingly, nothing was stolen by the attackers. 55-year-old Pius Ngwete was left with deep cuts at the back of his neck. The SDA church priest Nathan Nyongesa lamented the high cases of insecurity and attacks against the night guards in Kakamega town. Nyongesa, who resides at the church, said three guards have been attacked over the last three weeks. "Over the last three weeks, my security guards have been attacked and I have reported the cases to police, but they have done nothing. The third attack has claimed the life of my security guard in a manner that I am still shocked," Nyongesa said, adding: "Surprisingly, the church has security lights and a siren, but we did not hear anything going on, only to wake up in the morning and find the body of the night guard lying in a pool of blood beside the church, and nothing was stolen." Nyongesa called on security agencies in Kakamega to move with speed and stop the high cases of attacks against night guards. On Tuesday night, two other watchmen manning timber yards in Lurambi were attacked. One of the guards, Allan Shibweke, aged 55, is fighting for his life at Kakamega General Hospital. The attack was similar to the others as the two guards were left with deep cuts at the back of their necks, and nothing was stolen from the premises. The Standard established that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, in conjunction with police officers from the Western Regional Police Headquarters, have narrowed down to one suspect, a man believed to be the lead person behind the brutal and mysterious murders in the county. Western Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud, however, said police are pursuing a man who was captured on a CCTV cameras while attacking a night guard at one of the timber yards in the Lurambi area. He is believed to be the mastermind behind the chilling murders. Mohamud told The Standard that the suspects reside in Shinyalu constituency, but have since moved out of the area. "We are after one man who we believe is the serial killer in Kakamega and has been hitting victims with crude weapons from behind," said Mohamud. "He was captured by a CCTV camera,. Police were able to trace where he stays, but unfortunately, he is on the run, but police are after him. We have good leads, and sooner or later we are going to arrest him." The police boss said that upon identifying the suspect, locals stormed his home and removed his belongings from the house, assuring locals of their safety and telling them the suspect would be nabbed and brought to book. A detective, who is part of the investigation and who sought anonymity, told The Standard that at least 30 people, the majority being night guards, have been killed across the county in the same manner. However, it is the nature of the murder that has left locals with many unanswered questions about the motive behind the horrific deaths. "We are living in fear, and as locals, we have decided that we are going to protect ourselves because our safety is not guaranteed. Shockingly, six bodies of the eight victim watchmen have been killed in a similar manner. We are wondering about the motive behind these killings. Let the police reign in this gang so that we can get to understand the motive, and who is behind them," said Evans Shipwoni, a resident. On June 11, 2025, residents of Mayungu village in Lurambi Constituency woke up to a rude shock when they found the body of a young man dumped on the road.

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