Maseno university don killed in suspected land dispute

Maseno proffesor hacked to death.[File, Standard]

Police in Homa Bay County have launched investigations into the murder of a Maseno University professor who was hacked to death outside his home.

The body of Dr Daniel Odhiambo Dondi, 54, a finance lecturer at Maseno University, was found lying in a pool of blood outside the gate of his home on Saturday night after he was attacked while walking home in what detectives suspect could be linked to a long-running land dispute.

Police said the professor sustained deep cut wounds to the neck and multiple injuries to the head, suggesting he was assaulted with a sharp weapon.

His daughter, who witnessed the attack, raised an alarm, forcing the assailant to flee before members of the public could intervene. Investigators say the suspect had allegedly been involved in a boundary dispute with the deceased.

Preliminary investigations indicate the killing may have arisen from the long-standing land row, although detectives say they are pursuing all possible leads before reaching a final conclusion.

Crime scene officers processed the area before the body was moved to the Rachuonyo Sub-County Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.

Police have since arrested a prime suspect who was expected to appear in court on today.

Elsewhere in Kakamega County, detectives are investigating the murder of 28-year-old Richard Odhiambo Ngala, whose body was found on a feeder road in Bukananachi Village in Matungu Sub-County.

Ngala had been reported missing by his family after they discovered he was not at his usual sleeping place early Saturday morning. After searching for him, relatives found his body lying on the roadside with injuries on the back and a deep cut to the head.

Police processed the scene before moving the body to the Bungoma County Funeral Home pending a postmortem examination.

In Kiambu County, a 30-year-old man drowned while swimming in Gachomo Dam in Juja. The deceased, identified as Peter Mwaura, reportedly entered the water using a bamboo pipe as a flotation aid before he was overwhelmed by strong currents.

Members of the public retrieved his body before police arrived. Officers said the body had no visible injuries and was taken to the Kenyatta University Hospital mortuary.

Meanwhile, in Nairobi's Kangemi area, police are investigating the sudden death of Joyce Chepkorir, who was found lifeless inside her house after her boyfriend returned home from work on Saturday evening.

The man reportedly found the door locked and, after receiving no response, peeped through a window and saw Chepkorir lying motionless on the floor. Police found no visible injuries on the body, which was moved to the City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.

In Kilifi County, investigators are also seeking to identify decomposed human remains discovered along the shores of the Indian Ocean at Sultan Palace Beach.

Police recovered a skull, thorax and pelvic bones that had decomposed beyond recognition, making it impossible to immediately determine the victim's identity or race. Detectives believe the deceased may have drowned elsewhere before ocean currents washed the remains ashore.

The remains were taken to the Kilifi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary as investigations continue.

Police said no recent missing person reports matching the discovery have been recorded in the area.