Kisumu — Detectives in Kisumu West have recovered the decomposing body of a 21-year-old student from RIAT College in Riat Forest, days after she was reported missing following a suspected abduction and assault on April 5, 2026.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the body--bearing multiple stab wounds--was discovered during a coordinated operation involving officers from Maseno Police Station and Riat Police Post after an intensive search.

Police have since arrested the prime suspect, identified as Steven Coleman Okoth, who is believed to have orchestrated the victim's gang rape, torture, and eventual murder in Kisumu's Milimani area.

Investigations reveal that the victim was allegedly lured into a drinking spree by two male colleagues from the same institution, leaving her incapacitated. In her vulnerable state, she was sexually assaulted and later abandoned in a bush while in critical condition.

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Her disappearance raised alarm after her elder sister received a distressing text message around midnight, indicating that she had been assaulted and left in a bush. Shortly afterward, her phone went offline.

Detectives launched immediate investigations, employing forensic analysis to trace her last known location near the Kenya Wildlife Service offices in Milimani. However, initial search efforts proved unsuccessful.

A breakthrough came when the suspect--reportedly the victim's former boyfriend--was linked to her movements on the night she disappeared, leading to his arrest.

Further investigations indicate that the suspect had allegedly issued threats to the victim over the past two months and had persistently sought her at her residence in Riat.

Police say the suspect is currently being processed for arraignment, as detectives continue efforts to track down additional accomplices connected to the crime.