Detectives from Kisumu West have recovered the decomposing body of a 21-year-old female student from the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT). The body was discovered in the RIAT Forest on the outskirts of Kisumu, bearing multiple stab wounds and signs of severe physical trauma.
The discovery ends a frantic week-long search for the student, who vanished under distressing circumstances in early April.
The Arrest of Steven Coleman Okoth
The recovery was made possible following the arrest of the prime suspect, Steven Coleman Okoth, who was apprehended in Kisumu’s Milimani area on the night of April 5, 2026. Okoth, identified as a former boyfriend of the victim, is believed to have orchestrated a series of crimes against her, including gang rape and torture.
At the time of his arrest, detectives found Okoth in possession of “crucial exhibits of evidential value,” which helped forensic teams trace the victim’s final movements near the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) offices.
Chronology of the Incident
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the case began with a desperate report from the victim’s elder sister:
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- The Disappearance: The victim’s phone went offline shortly after midnight on the night of her disappearance.
- The Distress Signal: Before the phone was disconnected, a final text message indicated she had been lured into a drinking spree by two male colleagues and was incapacitated/drugged.
- The Assault: Forensic leads suggest that in her vulnerable state, the student was sexually assaulted and abandoned in a bush in critical condition.
- Prior Threats: Investigations revealed that the suspect had been issuing threats to the victim for over two months, frequently visiting her residence in RIAT to harass her.
Ongoing Investigation
The DCI noted that while the prime suspect is in custody and being processed for arraignment, the hunt for his accomplices remains active.
“Persistent probe into the matter shed some light when one suspect was identified and flushed from his hole. Said to be the victim’s former boyfriend, he had been spotted with the heavily drugged lady that evening,” the DCI statement read.
The recovery of the body has sent shockwaves through the RIAT student community, with many calling for heightened security in the forest areas surrounding the institution. Police have cordoned off the scene in RIAT Forest for further forensic processing as they seek to identify the other “colleagues” involved in the initial luring of the victim.
