Kenyan Police Arrest 24-Year-Old Man Over Murder of 14-Year-Old Schoolgirl

Police in Kenya have arrested a 24-year-old man, identified as Stanley Odero, over the alleged murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl, Draron Kanagi, in Masana Village, South Maragoli.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Kanagi, a Grade 8 pupil of Hamasana Primary School, reportedly went missing on the evening of May 18 while returning home from school.

After she failed to arrive home, her family launched a search for her. However, their fears were confirmed the following afternoon when two women gathering firewood discovered her lifeless body in a tree plantation in Masana Village.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager had allegedly been sexually assaulted before being strangled with barbed wire and tied to a tree. Her schoolbag, containing her books, was also recovered near the scene.

Her remains were subsequently taken to the mortuary at Vihiga County Teaching and Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination as detectives commenced investigations.

According to the DCI, detectives from Vihiga Sub-County arrested Odero on Friday following extensive forensic investigations that reportedly produced a positive DNA match linking him to the crime.

The suspect, who is a resident of Masana Village, remains in police custody and is undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.

The DCI expressed condolences to the family, friends and relatives of the deceased, assuring them of its commitment to ensuring that justice is served.