An atmosphere of grief engulfed Kathungu village in Nguni Ward, Mwingi Central Constituency on Wednesday , as family, leaders and hundreds of mourners gathered to bid farewell to 14-year-old James M. Joseph Mutemi, whose killing has sparked outrage and renewed calls for justice and security in Kitui County.
Joseph, a Grade Five pupil at Kathungu Comprehensive School, was allegedly killed by suspected camel herders on Tuesday, April 28, in Ukasi area while grazing livestock alongside a friend who managed to escape.
The emotional burial ceremony drew top county leaders, among them Kitui Senator Enoch Kiio Wambua, Kitui County Assembly Speaker Kevin Kinengo Katisya, Nguni MCA and Minority Leader Jeremiah Mutua, as well as several MCAs and county officials.
The slain boy was a cousin to MCA Jeremiah Mutua, who joined mourners in condemning what leaders described as a “heinous and barbaric” attack.
“With heavy hearts, we joined the grieving family and the people of Ukasi in mourning the brutal and senseless murder of 14-year-old Joseph Mutemi,” Kitui County Assembly Speaker Kinengo Katisya said during the burial.
Speakers at the ceremony demanded swift investigations and prosecution of those behind the killing, warning that residents of Kitui had suffered repeated attacks without justice being served.
“The people of Kitui County have lost too many innocent lives. Our people deserve to live in peace and security,” leaders said.
Addressing mourners, Senator Enoch Kiio Wambua assured the family that leaders across Kitui would continue pushing for accountability and enhanced security in the volatile border region.
“To the perpetrators, the blood of innocent children will not be shed in vain because justice will soon catch up with you,” one leader declared during the burial.
Joseph’s mother, Dorcus, and his brothers Kelvin and Victor were comforted by mourners as emotional scenes unfolded during the final send-off.
Leaders from across the county urged residents to maintain peace and avoid retaliatory attacks even as pressure mounted on security agencies to act decisively against armed criminal groups operating in the area.
Among leaders present were Hon. Muthengi Ndagara (MCA Tharaka), Hon. Judith Kasyoka Wanza (MCA Nuu), Hon. Dominic Mwamisi (MCA Mutha), Hon. Deborah Mutuku (Nominated MCA), Water and Irrigation CECM Peter Nkunda and Chief Officer for Decentralised Units Kitonga Salee.
Joseph’s killing triggered protests in Nguni and Mwingi earlier this week, with residents barricading sections of the Mwingi-Garissa Highway and demanding urgent government intervention following rising insecurity linked to grazing conflicts in the region.
The burial comes amid heightened security operations in parts of Mwingi North and Mwingi Central following a series of deadly attacks that have left several people dead and displaced families in fear.
