KISII, Kenya — Police in Kisii have exhumed the body of 54-year-old Zipporah Omari, who went missing two months ago, from a shallow grave inside a thatched house in Mwembe Estate, opposite Kisii Cathedral.
A 72-year-old man, identified as John Agwacha, is in custody in connection with the suspected murder.
According to investigators, Omari, a widow, had been living with Agwacha, also a widower, for the past year. Her disappearance raised alarm among her tenants after she failed to collect rent for two consecutive months.
“Sisi baada ya wapangaji kuraise alarm tulianza kupiga report kwa vituo vya polisi… ndio baadaye kuna majirani wakatuambia kwamba mwili umeonekana na kwamba mama amezikwa hapa. Tunataka tu haki,” said her son, Nyambati Omari.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported that Agwacha initially confessed to killing the woman by striking her with a blunt object before burying her body at around 11:30 p.m. He has since recanted his statement, maintaining that he is innocent.
“Mama ambaye amepotea kwa muda sasa tumehakikisha ametolewa na mwili unaonekana wake. Uchunguzi tayari unaendelea,” said Kisii Central Sub-County Police Commander Musa Imai, confirming the recovery of the body.
The suspect has been remanded at Kisii Central Police Station for 30 days to allow police to complete investigations. The remains of the deceased were moved to the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is expected to determine the cause of death.
The case has shocked residents of Mwembe, with the family urging authorities to ensure justice is served for their late mother.
