(Updated: 10:58 p.m.)
A fresh wave of fear has gripped Kitui town following the murder of James Syengo Waambua Jnr, the son of the proprietor of the well-known 120 Hardware in Kitui town, whose body was found by the roadside near Igloos Hotel in Bondeni on Saturday morning.
The killing has sent shockwaves across the town and renewed concerns over security following a series of unresolved violent deaths reported in the Bondeni and neighbouring Slaughter Estate areas in recent months.
Syengo, a young entrepreneur who worked alongside his father in the family hardware business and an alumnus of Kisasi Boys High School, was found dead under circumstances police are treating as murder.
This story has been updated following fresh information obtained from police investigations. Earlier reports suggesting the deceased had been drinking at an entertainment joint in Slaughter Estate have since been overtaken by new investigative findings.
According to police investigations, Syengo had spent Friday night at Wave Lounge in Kitui town with his partner and eight friends, including another couple, before a disagreement reportedly broke out between him and his partner inside the entertainment joint.
Investigators believe the confrontation later spilled outside the premises before the group dispersed shortly before 3 a.m.
Police have established that following the chaos, Syengo and his partner later walked to where their vehicle had been parked outside Asumbi Pharmacy, which investigators believe was the last confirmed location where he was seen alive.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, Syengo’s partner later left the area on a boda boda, with Syengo reportedly following shortly afterwards. Detectives are now seeking to trace the motorcycle rider, whom they believe could be a key witness in reconstructing the victim’s final movements.
Crime scene investigators processed the vehicle for forensic evidence before towing it to Kitui Police Station for further examination.
By Monday evening, detectives had arrested nine suspects, including Syengo’s partner and the eight friends who had been with the couple at Wave Lounge before the incident.
Sources familiar with the investigation told Channel 15 News that the suspects are expected to appear before the Kitui Law Courts on Tuesday, where police will seek orders allowing them to remain in custody as investigations continue.
Detectives are pursuing several lines of inquiry, including whether the circumstances surrounding the killing are linked to the altercation reported earlier that night. However, police have not disclosed a motive, and investigations remain ongoing.
The killing has also reignited public concern over security in Bondeni and the neighbouring Slaughter Estate, where residents have raised alarm over several unresolved deaths in recent months. The latest incident is expected to intensify calls for enhanced policing and faster investigations into violent crimes in the area.
Police have appealed to members of the public with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
None of the suspects has been charged with any offence, and all remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Editor’s Note (Updated 10:58 p.m.): This story has been updated to reflect information obtained from police investigations. It replaces earlier details regarding the deceased’s final movements after fresh evidence emerged during the ongoing investigation.
