A 27-year-old man allegedly killed his mother then stayed with the body in the house for more than 20 hours before relatives became suspicious after her calls went unanswered.
Not even Roselyn Nyawanda's neighbours at Migingo Girls High School where the deceased was deputy principal noticed something had gone wrong inside her house, until the woman's oldest son came knocking.
Roselyn lived in the institution's teachers' quarter. She is suspected to have been killed on August 20, and police are linking her son, Jeff Onyango, said to be a drug addict and mentally unstable, to the gruesome murder.
Her charred body was discovered in the bathroom the following night when her other son, identified as Stephen, went to check on his mother after she failed to pick phone calls.
The circumstances surrounding Roselyn's death in Migingo village, Kisumu County, remain unclear but police are treating Jeff as the prime suspect. But what is clear is that the deceased was stabbed to death before being burnt. A kitchen knife, paraffin mug and lantern lamp were found near the murder scene. The bathroom's walls had been blackened with a smudge of soot.
Stephen, who arrived at the house at around 8 pm, knocked at the door severally but there was no immediate response. After waiting patiently outside, he heard movements inside before Jeff opened the door.
When Stephen stepped into the house, he found his mother's body burnt beyond recognition. He alerted neighbours and police who arrested Jeff. Roselyn's body was moved to Star Annex Morgue.
Colleagues who live in the same compound were left in shock at the tragedy. A worker whose house is next to Roselyn's said he never heard any commotion from the house. It is believed the killer took advantage of the heavy downpour to commit the murder.
Kisumu County police commander Alphonse Kimanthi, who described the incident as unfortunate, said they are detaining him as investigations progress.
"We are holding the suspect. The matter is still under investigation," he said.
The incident has left teachers, students, family members and locals wondering what could have driven Jeff to stab his mother several times before dousing her body in paraffin and setting it on fire. To them, the loss of the career teacher who dedicated her life to bringing hope and education to others is devastating.
From the outside, Roselyn's family was adorable. Friends who frequently interacted with her son Jeff, never imagined he could harm someone.
Before her life was cut short, Roselyn was at the peak of her career and was looking forward to being appointed a senior principal before retiring.
Described by her colleagues as a hardworking and caring teacher, what had been another normal day at school turned tragic moments after she went to her house.
Detectives are still scratching their heads to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death, even as they continue questioning the suspect whom they claim has remained mum since the incident. A number of people who knew the suspect told The Nairobian that he had been a thorn in the flesh of his mother due to drug addiction but was never violent.
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The mother, however, kept the problems she was experiencing with her son to herself and only shared them with a few colleagues at the institution.
According to a teacher at the institution, moments before they learnt of her demise, Roselyn had confided that her son was undergoing medication due to mental challenges.
"She was staying with the son within the school compound. Nothing seemed amiss but she always said her son was struggling with addiction which had affected his mental state," said the teacher.
However, The Nairobian could not independently verify whether Jeff was suffering from addiction or receiving treatment for a mental health problem.