Mob kills mentally ill university student in Kisumu

Kisumu police boss Benson Maweu said documents found on him indicated that Okello was suffering from a mental disorder and was on treatment. [Courtesy]

Police in Kisumu are investigating circumstances under which a 27-year-old university student was killed and his body dumped outside Kisumu Muslim Cemetery.

The body of Oketch Okello believed to be a student from a local university was on Thursday morning collected by officers.

Witnesses say the student was beaten to death by a mob over claims he had attacked and assaulted two mourners.

Kisumu police boss Benson Maweu said documents found on him indicated that Okello was suffering from a mental disorder and was on treatment.

Okello reportedly tried to escape by climbing a tree, but a mob responding to cries from his victims brought him down and beat him to death.

“One of those attacked reported the matter to the police, but did not give us information on what transpired afterwards. The next day we received reports that a body had been dumped on Kisumu-Busia Road. We went to the scene only to find the body of the student,” Maweu said.

The two mourners were on their way to the cemetery when they were allegedly attacked by an unknown person.

The two raised alarm prompting a mob to rush to the scene. The attacker climbed a tree to escape the mob, but was brought down and lynched.

The body was taken to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).

“The office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken over the matter for further investigations,” said Maweu.

This comes barely a week after another Maseno university student committed suicide in a bizarre incident that left students at the YMCA hostel in shock.

Spencer Matete allegedly committed suicide inside his hostel room in the lakeside town.

He allegedly tied his legs together on the top rails of a double-decker bed, tied his hands together at the back with a belt before hanging himself with a piece of cloth.