Girl, 15, killed in family's kitchen

Family members show journalists the mattress where the body of Diana Juma, a Class Seven pupil at Nanyeni Primary school in Matungu was found. [Brian Kisanji, Standard]

A family in Kakamega is in shock after their 15-year-old daughter was strangled to death.

Diana Juma, a Standard Seven pupil at Nanyeni Primary School, was on Sunday night found dead in the kitchen where she was sleeping alone.

It is suspected she was raped before being strangled by her attackers.

Yesterday, Diana's father Antony Juma Bunyasi said his daughter left the rest of the family in the main house and went to sleep in the kitchen at around 10pm.

At around 1am, Mr Bunyasi said he heard commotion in the kitchen that is situated about 10 metres from the main house.

He said he also noticed billows of smoke emanating from the roof, giving an impression that someone had lit a fire in the kitchen. The door was wide open.

"I went in and found my daughter lying on the ground lifeless," said Bunyasi.

He explained that he dragged the body out of the kitchen and woke the rest of the family to help him put out the fire.

Blood oozing

He said Diana had a piece of cloth around her neck, suggesting she had been strangled. Blood was also oozing from her ears and nose. Her innerwear had blood stains, raising suspicions that she was raped before she was murdered. One of her arms had burns.

Bunyasi said he believed the fire was started to divert attention from the crime. Diana was set to report to school for third term. 

Police took the body to Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary.

Nanyeni Primary School head teacher Andrew Werimo said the killing had spread fear among pupils.

"We have asked parents to be careful with their children. They should not allow children to walk alone at night," said Mr Werimo.

Meanwhile in Matungu sub-county, a man is being sought after he allegedly killed an elderly man following a confrontation during a funeral vigil.

In the incident that happened on Friday, the assailant is said to have hit Shaban Odour with a blunt object.

This is after an argument broke out between them over where to light a fire. Mr Oduor's family reported the matter to Matungu Police Station yesterday.

The murder has brought back memories among residents of killings that happened in Matungu between March and April this year, where over 18 people were killed by a gang.

The murders sparked a national outcry.