Police have arrested three suspects, including the alleged husband, in connection with the gruesome murder of 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, a refugee from Dadaab, who was killed in Ademasajida, Wajir County, on March 22, 2025, for refusing to marry a 55-year-old man.
The Director of Corporate Communication at the National Police Service (NPS), Muchiri Nyaga, confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are completed.
“We wish to thank all persons of goodwill who shared information that led to the arrest of the three suspects,” said Nyaga.
Gaala’s murder has sparked nationwide outrage, exposing the brutal reality of gender-based violence and forced marriages.
Originally from Dagale Refugee Camp, she was reportedly taken 150 kilometers away to a remote village in Wajir, where she was coerced into marrying Mohamed Kassim, a man nearly four decades her senior.
From the moment she arrived, Gaala resisted the forced union, a defiance that led to relentless abuse. In a chilling voice recording to her parents, she described the violence she was enduring.
“After 24 hours of beatings, this is not a man. I was betrayed into marrying this herder. Why is my face swollen? I don’t have a man here. Every sunset when I enter that house, I get beaten,” Gaala said in distress.
Her Final Hours
On the night of March 22, Gaala made a desperate last call to her family, warning them of escalating violence.
“Late at night, as people were returning from prayers, she called saying, ‘They have started knifing me, and my phone is being taken away,’” her mother, Amina Abdi Nur, recounted.
Hours later, at around 2 AM, her family received the devastating news—Gaala had been butchered, placed on a mattress, stuffed into a bag, and set on fire.
Medical reports have painted a horrific picture of the teenager’s final moments.
Doctors reported that 100-degree burns covered her body, and she had suffered a severe spinal column injury, evidence of the unimaginable brutality she endured before her death.
Gaala’s death, which occurred less than a month after her forced marriage, has led to widespread calls for justice.
On Friday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) urged authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the National Police Service (NPS) must expedite investigations and ensure that all those responsible face the full force of the law,” said KNCHR Vice-Chairperson Dr. Raymond Nyeris.