A post-mortem examination has confirmed that 20-year-old Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) student Alice Riang’a died from blunt force trauma to the head.
The results point to a violent attack before her body was dumped in Barkowino Forest in Bondo.
The postmortem conducted on Tuesday, May 12, also revealed that the second-year Bachelor of Education Science student had been assaulted prior to her death.
Investigators have not yet disclosed further details, including whether sexual violence was involved, as police continue with their probe.
Riang’a’s body was discovered on Saturday, May 9, by women collecting firewood in a thicket in the Barkowino area within Bondo Township.
Police said there were no signs of struggle at the scene, suggesting she was killed elsewhere before being dumped in the forested area. Her body was also found without undergarments, according to police observations.
Her father, Richard Riang’a Kiage, described the pain of identifying her remains, saying the injuries were so severe he could not immediately recognise her.
“As a first-time parent, if I were shown this child, I wouldn’t have been able to recognise her well because, according to how she looked, her face was damaged. I asked for a little time to try to look at her legs and toes to recognise her,” he said.
Police have arrested a man believed to have been the student’s boyfriend, who is currently in custody assisting with investigations. Authorities say the autopsy results will form key evidence as they prepare charges.
Following confirmation of Riang’a’s death and the arrest, about 700 JOOUST students staged peaceful demonstrations in Bondo town, marching to the police station and later to the mortuary, where they were allowed to view the body before returning to campus.
The suspect is expected in court for a miscellaneous application as investigations continue. Riang’a’s body remains at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
