Editor's Review

A high school principal, and a CEC in Nyamira County Government were also victims in the incident.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has arrested a key suspect behind a seven-hour siege in Keroka, Nyamira County that saw violent robbing, gang-raping, and gang-defiling scores. 

DCI in a statement on Thursday, November 2 noted that the suspect who has been identified as Joseph Otieno Kevuva was tracked down in Kondele, Kisumu County.

“The suspect, Joseph Otieno Kevuva was escorted to Nyamira County HQS where an identification parade was conducted. The victims positively identified him before detectives made a miscellaneous application to detain him for interrogation,” said the DCI. 

The DCI stated that among the victims included a female nominated MCA, a Principal at a local high school, and a CEC in Nyamira County Government.

A Kenya Prisons officer and a nurse at Nyamira County Hospital, an 80-year-old woman, a college and a high school student were also attacked by the gang of ten in the incident that happened from 9 pm to 4 am on 23rd October 2023.

“After subduing the victims with beatings and death threats, members of the gang who were armed with a pistol, machetes and other crude weapons forced themselves into three of the women in turns, before escaping with their loot after 7hrs of inflicting untold terror and trauma on the hostages,” DCI stated.

Joseph Otieno Kevuva, a key suspect behind the attack.

The gang is reported to have taken assorted mobile phones, over Sh130,000 in cash, and more hundreds of thousands withdrawn from the victim's ATMs.

“Upon receiving the information, all the security agencies in the county were mobilized and investigations were launched on October 24. The victims were attended in various hospitals in the county and samples taken from the sexually abused victims,” DCI added.

The agency further disclosed that it has launched a manhunt for the other members of the gang to bring them to book