Three men, including the husband of the deceased, have been charged at the Garissa High Court over the alleged murder of a 17-year-old refugee girl in Wajir County.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) authorized the charges against Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, Mussa Sheikh Ahmed, and Adan Mohamme Ahmed following investigations into the death of Gaala Adan, who was killed on March 22, 2025, at Lolkuta South Sub-location, Wara Location in Hadado Sub-County, within Wajir County.
According to Principal Prosecution Counsel Benard Owuor, the decision to prosecute followed a directive to exhume the body of the teenager and conduct a thorough postmortem examination by a government pathologist to determine the cause of death.
Court documents revealed that the deceased had been married to the first accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, aged 40, in a traditional Somali wedding conducted at Dagahaley Refugee Camp on February 22, 2025. However, the marriage reportedly deteriorated shortly thereafter, leading to allegations of physical abuse. The situation escalated when the young bride allegedly changed her mind and withdrew from the union.
All three accused persons appeared before Justice John Onyiego, where they pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The court ordered the preparation of a pre-bail report, which will inform a later decision on whether to release the suspects on bond.
The accused will remain in custody at Garissa GK Prison until May 15, 2025, when the matter will be mentioned again in court.
Authorities have pledged a thorough pursuit of justice in the case, which has sparked debate over child marriage and the safety of refugee girls in Kenya’s northern regions.
