NYS youth accused of killing two residents over theft of phone

Tension is high at Nyadenda Village after bodies of two casual labourers were found inside a National Youth Service (NYS) camp.

Initial reports indicated that Hesborn Nyamweya, 34, and Geoffrey Onjoki, 30, were killed on Sunday evening on suspicion that they had  stolen a phone belonging to a senior NYS official based at Lambwe camp.

The senior officer is said to have lost the phone at Nyadenda trading center where he was drinking on Saturday night.

However, the NYS has denied these claims, instead saying that the two men were killed by a civilian mob that later dumped the bodies inside the camp.

But Ruma Kaksingri ward rep, Ellyphalet Osuri, the chairman of Nyadenda traders, Silus Otiende and two other residents- John Nyangweso and Joseph Odhiambo, maintain the two were killed at the NYS camp.

Nyangweso, who said he had hired the two men to help him work in his farm on Sunday, said he was called by the NYS management about the lost phone.

“I went to the NYS camp and found the two men lying down after being assaulted,” he said.

Odhiambo claims he saw a group of the NYS youth said to have been sent to retrieve their boss’s phone assaulting the men in the presence of their seniors.

“The NYS youths were assaulting the men near my home. I got out of the house and watched them beat up the young men as they took them away,” said Odhiambo.

Osuri said it was erroneous for the NYS to claim that the two men were killed by civilians.

“NYS is a protected area where civilians cannot access to dump bodies of people who have been lynched,” said Osuri.

Homa Bay County Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer, Daniel Wachira, said detectives were investigating the matter.