Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a serial killer who is wanted for five murders.
The killer, Evans Juma Wanjala is accused of luring five minors to an unknown location where he assaulted, defiled and murdered them.
The heinous acts happened between December 31, 2019 and June 15, 2021, with the minors involved aged between 1–15 years.
According to the DCI, Juma lured the gills to different locations within Moi’s Bridge in Uasin Gishu county where he assaulted, defiled, brutally murdered and hid their bodies.
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The victims have been identified as Linda Cherono, 13, Mary Elusa, 14, Grace Njeri, 12, Stacy Nabiso, 10 and Lucy Wanjiru, 15. Linda Cherono had gone missing only for her body to be found decomposing near Baharini Dam on June 15, 2021.
“The modus operandi of the pedophile was replicated in all the other four murders where the victims were first defiled before being strangled to death and left in the bushes to be devoured by wild beasts. In two such instances, the lifeless bodies of the victims were stashed in gunny bags covered with vegetables and left to rot away in the bushes,” the DCI said.
Detectives further ascertained that Juma is a habitual offender with a warrant of arrest issued against him. For instance, on diverse dates in 2018, he defiled two minors in Kibwezi and upon being arraigned in court was released on bond.
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He however went into hiding prompting the Makindu Law Courts to issue a warrant of arrest. Currently, Juma is in custody awaiting arraignment.
Cases of murders, defilement, kidnappings and abductions have been on the rise in the country in recent days with experts linking them to mental health and tough economic times necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
More needs to be done to avert these crises and relevant authorities need to team up and restore order in the society.
