Tanzanian gold dealer in murder of university student detained for 20 days
A court ordered the detention of a Tanzanian national for 20 days pending investigations into the murder of a Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology student in Bondo.
Maximillan John Madeni, 28, was produced in Bondo Law Courts on Tuesday, May 12, where police successfully made a miscellaneous application to detain him pending the murder probe.
A magistrate granted the application and set the hearing for June 2, 2026.
Police said they wanted to know more about the murder by conducting an autopsy on the body of 20-year-old education student Alice Riang’a, also known as Sabina.
The killing of the student has sparked outrage among students and residents, with calls for swift investigations and justice.
Reports indicate Alice Riang’a had been missing for several days before her body was discovered in a forested area in Barkowino, Bondo.
The motive of the murder was not immediately established. This happened as hundreds of students staged peaceful protests demanding justice.
The arrest followed the positive identification of the body by the deceased’s father, Richard Riang’a Kiage, after the body had initially been reported as unknown.
Police said about 700 students took part in demonstrations within Bondo town following news of the arrest and confirmation of the student’s death.
The protesters marched peacefully along the University Town road to the police station and later to the mortuary, where they were allowed to view the body before returning to the university.
Authorities indicated that the demonstrations remained calm throughout, with no incidents of violence or destruction reported and no teargas used during crowd management.
Police said they want to know how and why the murder happened and if there were other players in the same. The student and suspect are believed to have been lovers, police said.
Murder incidents have been on the rise amid efforts to solve them.
Police say up to eight murder incidents are reported daily and most of them remain unsolved for now. Authorities said they are still pursuing the matter.