A self-confessed serial killer is alleged to have taken the life of yet another woman in a macabre incident that shocked residents of Moi’s Bridge Town in Uasin Gishu County.
In what turns out to have been a real threat — but was dismissed as a bad joke — Mustafa Idi, a carpenter in Kitale had often bragged to whoever gave him attention that he had killed two women before, according to residents.
And on Monday night, the murder suspect, who is out on bond, is reported to have struck again, brutally killing a female student who was set to sit her final exams at a beauty college in Eldoret Town.
Ms Emma Wanyotta’s mutilated body was found in a nappier grass plantation next to her home in Moi’s Bridge.
Relatives said the two were former lovers, and that Mr Idi was infuriated when Wanyotta ended their relationship.
Mr Idi, who was charged in the Kitale High Court in August 2017 with strangling to death Nancy Narogoi, was recently released on bond, to the consternation of the victim’s family.
After Ms Narogoi’s murder in July 2017, Mr Idi went into hiding, but was soon arrested and arraigned in court.
Narogoi’s father, Mr William Edome, Tuesday told the Nation that he was shocked to learn that he had been released by the court without the family’s knowledge.
“Someone told me he had seen him in Moi’s Bridge. We rushed to court to ask why and we were told he had been released on bond. We were never informed he was going to be released.
It’s painful to learn that he was released without my daughter getting justice and now he is said to have killed another young woman,” Mr Edome said.
He said the case had dragged on following multiple adjournments by the accused. The hearing for the murder case is set for October 29.
On Monday, the suspect is said to have attacked Ms Wanyotta inside her home. Police said she was strangled and then dismembered. In one of the most macabre killings reported in the recent past in the country, her limbs and hands were chopped off.
Police said it was one of the worst murders they had seen in a long time.
Ms Wanyotta, who was set to sit her final exams at Vera Beauty College in Eldoret this Friday, was on attachment at a salon in Moi’s Bridge.
“She was a very likable student. She liked her beauty course. She was a student of few words, but you could see she had serious interest in being a beautician,” said Ms Evelyn Nduku, Vera Beauty College, Eldoret branch manager.
Ms Sheila Wanyotta, Emma’s eldest sister, said the family got suspicious when they noticed that Emma was missing from home.
“When mum got home at 6pm, she could not find her. Everything was in a mess in the house, an indication that there had been a struggle. There was blood on the floor and her phone wasn’t going through, so mum went to the police station to report,” said Ms Wanyotta.
She said that after a long search in the rooms and the compound, they found her mutilated body inside the nappier grass.
Ms Sheila said Mr Idi was a carpenter in Moi’s Bridge who was well-known to the family as he visited them regularly. He had made chairs and tables for them sometime back.
She added that her sister was in a short-time relationship with Mr Idi but she recently terminated it.
“He is the carpenter who made furniture for my mum and brother here at our homestead. After parting ways with my sister in August this year, he has been threatening her and also all the men in her phone contact list,” she added.
The man had lately been bragging to them that he had killed another woman by strangling her.
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Johsnston Ipara said Idi was the main suspect.
“We found a laptop and a phone belonging to the lady in his house. There were also bloodstained clothes belonging to Mr Idi soaked in a bucket inside his house. He is our main suspect. We are waiting for our investigations team to look into the matter and we will make a decision on going to court,” Mr Ipara told the Nation last evening.
Moi’s Bridge residents took to the streets to protest the killing and accused the courts of releasing the man. They engaged police in running battles in the town for hours.
Hundreds of protesters blocked the Eldoret-Kitale road for the better part of Tuesday following the brutal killing.
Police had a hard time trying to restore order as the protesters engaged them in running battles.The demonstrators barricaded the road for hours and lit bonfires disrupting transport on the vital road.
Motorists had a tough time as the protesters pelted police with stones. Police lobbed tear gas at the crowds blocking the road in several points and also fired in the air to restore normalcy.
The agitated members of the public were baying for the blood of the suspect. They wanted him to produce the victim’s lower limbs and left arm, which were missing.
“We will not bury our daughter without her missing legs and left hand. We want the suspect to produce them,” said Margaret Kaino, a resident.
Soy Sub County OCPD Fanuel Nasio said the man was arrested on Monday night after he went to the police to report that he was being accused of killing the lady.
“He came to us saying the mother of the deceased was suspecting him, we arrested him immediately and he is the main suspect in this murder,” said Mr Nasio.
