NAIROBI, Kenya – Police have arrested the prime suspect linked to the brutal killing of 11-year-old Glorious Kaiza Maore, marking a major breakthrough in the investigation into the crime.
In a statement, the minor was reported missing on March 15, 2026, after she failed to return home from Sunday school practice, sparking concern among family members and residents.
What initially began as a search for the missing child later turned into a grim discovery days later in the Manyani area of Kisauni, where children playing nearby stumbled upon a sack with what appeared to be a human hand protruding from it.
Police were alerted and upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered the lifeless body of the young girl inside the sack.
According to investigators, the body had been bound with a rope in what authorities believe was “a calculated attempt to conceal the crime.”
A postmortem examination conducted at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital confirmed that the child had been defiled before being strangled to death.
Following the discovery, detectives from Directorate of Criminal Investigations launched investigations that led them to identify Anthony Juma, also known as Kipara, as the main suspect.
However, by the time police moved in, the suspect had already fled.
Officers later recovered partially burnt clothes and beddings from an abandoned house linked to him, which investigators believe were an attempt to destroy evidence.
Police subsequently launched a manhunt that led to his arrest on April 12, 2026.
Authorities described the arrest as a major step in the case, stating that it marked “a significant breakthrough” in the investigation into the young girl’s murder.
The suspect was later arraigned before the Shanzu Law Courts under a miscellaneous application, where detectives sought custodial orders to allow them to complete investigations.
On April 13, the court granted investigators 21 days to hold the suspect in custody as they finalise forensic analysis and prepare the case for prosecution.
Police said the suspect is a Tanzanian national who has been operating locally as a garbage collector without formal identification documents.
The case is scheduled to be mentioned on May 4, 2026, as investigations continue.
