Tanzanian gold dealer arrested over murder of university student in Bondo

Maximillian John Madeni was arrested after the body of the second-year Bachelor of Education Science student was discovered on Saturday, around the Barkowino area within Bondo Township, Siaya County.

According to Bondo Sub-County Police Commandant Robert Aboki, the body was discovered by local women who were fetching firewood. He said that they stumbled upon the remains before alerting the authorities.

The police boss revealed that the deceased, Alice Rianga, was last seen on Wednesday last week when she reportedly left her hostel room in Bondo town to go to the university’s main campus, but never came back.

Her roommate, Kayla Wanyonyi, filed the report of a missing person the following Sunday, only for the description to match the body recovered a day earlier.

Preliminary investigations have linked Madeni to the crime after the roommate identified him as the boyfriend of the deceased.

While confirming the arrest, Aboki noted that the crime scene lacked signs of a physical struggle, suggesting that the student may have been killed elsewhere before her body was dumped in the thicket. Investigators also observed that the body was found without undergarments.

The student’s remains are currently at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary awaiting an autopsy as detectives continue with investigations to ascertain the cause of her death.

Students at JOOUST have since issued a stern ultimatum to local authorities following the gruesome murder of their female colleague.

Former JOOUST President Joel Odidi accused the local police of negligence, alleging that previous reports of violence against students have yielded no tangible action.

Odhiambo expressed the collective grief and frustration of the fraternity, noting that students are being slaughtered every semester and warned that they will no longer remain silent while their safety is compromised.