Legal officer murdered hours after returning from graduation in Bondo

38-year-old Raychelle Syamba. [Courtesy]

What was meant to be a journey home after celebrating a graduation ceremony ended in tragedy after, a 38-year-old legal officer was found murdered hours after arriving in Bondo town.

Ms Raychelle Dorothy Syamba had attended a graduation ceremony at Kabarak University on Friday before travelling back via Kisumu, where she alighted in Bondo at around 10pm.

Dorothy, who served in the Vihiga County Assembly as a Committee Clerk, then hired a boda boda rider to take her parents’ home to Got Agulu, but never arrived.

According to her elder sister Maureen, they were in constant communication during the journey and she was to pick her in Usenge town.

“She told me the motorcycle had run out of fuel, and that is when I suspected something was wrong,” recalled Maureen, adding that the last thing she mentioned was that they were on a rough road off the Bondo–Usenge highway.

Minutes later, her phone was never picked and she could no longer be reached.

The following morning, passers-by discovered her lifeless body about 200 metres from the highway in Magawa village and alerted the authorities. Her mobile phone and personal belongings were missing.

Police said the incident is being investigated as a murder, with the homicide unit taking over the case.

Speaking to The Standard at their home in Got Agulu, her father Arthur Syamba questioned the motive behind the killing.

“I know my daughter is already dead, but it is important to establish what happened and the people behind this heinous act. This is not a normal attack,” he said.

He said investigations into the incident is ongoing and they will make burial arrangements once a postmortem has been conducted.

While condoling with the family, Vihiga County Assembly Speaker Christopher Omulele described the late Dorothy as a true testament of dedication to duty.

“She left a solid impact on the team, and we thank God for her service to us,” said Omulele.