Body of a girl found dumped in a thicket in Kitengela

Tension gripped Kitengela town in Kajiado County on Monday after the body of an eight-year-girl was found dumped in a thicket.

The body of Shantel Nzembi was found in Orata area by a passerby who reported the matter at the Kitengela police station.

Police officers who rushed to the scene found the body wrapped in a sack with multiple injuries.

Isinya DCI Jeremiah Dubai said detectives are following phone call leads that will assist them to arrest those suspected to have killed girl.

He said the child’s mother received two phone calls asking for a ransom of Sh300,000.

Shantel’s parents said she disappeared on Saturday last week and the matter was reported to the police.

They later received strange calls from different people demanding Sh300,000 in order to give back the daughter.

''My daughter left the house on Saturday and I thought she was just within the compound playing with other children. However, I was shocked to learn that she had not returned back by evening'' said Christine Ngima the mother, adding that the amount of money that was being asked by the callers was unbelievable.

Following the incident, Kitengela residents have expressed concern over rising insecurity in the town.

They said increasing insecurity might affect investor confidence in the fast-growing town.

John Muthemba, who is a resident of Noonkopir area urged the police to crack down on crime.

“We cannot be talking about attacks, killings, robbery, and loss of property every day. Let the security issue be a priority in the area. Insecurity puts us in a delicate balance,” said Muthemba.

He appealed to the government through the Interior Security Ministry to intervene before they lose more people.

The incident comes few weeks after four people disappeared from a club in the area, only for two of them to be found murdered and their bodies dumped far away from Kitengela.

pgithaiga@standardmedia.co.ke