The decomposing body a first-year English Literature student at Rongo University in MigoriCounty, was discovered inside a well at one of the hostels after murder.
Police suspect Emmanuel Nyamweya was killed and dumped in the well four days ago before the body was found on Wednesday, March 12.
The discovery comes days after Nyamweya was reported missing following an alleged disagreement with a relative who is also a student at the institution.
The body was found near Yatta Hostel after neighbors using the well detected a foul smell and alerted authorities.
Upon retrieval, the body was identified as that of Nyamweya, 20, who had been staying with his brother on campus. Preliminary reports suggest that Nyamweya disappeared on Sunday, March 9, after an alleged argument with his relative.
The motive of the murder is yet to be known, though this has not been confirmed.
On Sunday, Emmanuel came home from watching a football match, cooked, and slept.
On Monday, he woke up and went to class as usual but failed to come back.
“I have been searching for him since then until today when he was found in the well,” his brother said.
Jackson Onsongo, the father of the deceased, recounted the harrowing experience of searching for his son.
“Two days ago, I received a call informing me that my son had gone missing. I immediately came to the school to search for him and even reported the matter to the police,” he said.
“The police assured me that my son would be okay wherever he was and promised to work hard to ensure his safety. But this morning, I received another call from the landlord. When I arrived from Kisii, I was shocked to find a different story—police and a crowd gathered at the scene. My worst fears were confirmed.”
He also appealed for help in bringing his son’s body home for burial.
Rongo police boss Salim Fundi said the body showed no visible injuries and had begun to decompose.
“We are investigating murder in this case. We want to know what happened and how,” he said.
It was taken to a local for further postmortem examination as investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death continue.
The cause of death is not yet known, and authorities are treating the case as suspicious.
Rongo University has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
Students and staff expressed shock and grief over the tragic discovery.
Police urged anyone with information about Nyamweya’s disappearance or death to come forward.