According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the body was discovered in Riat Forest by officers from Kisumu West Sub-County, Maseno Police Station and Riat Police Post during a coordinated search operation.
Police said the body was in a decomposing state with knife stab wounds, indicating a violent attack, raising concerns over the brutality of the incident and intensifying public outrage in the area.
Investigators said the case began after the victim sent a distress message to her sister following failed phone calls due to poor network coverage, alerting family members that she was in danger.
In the message, she reportedly stated she had been lured into a drinking session with two male acquaintances from her institution before being assaulted and later abandoned in a forested area, shortly before her phone went off.
Forensic analysis and intelligence tracking later traced her last known movements to the Milimani area near the offices of Kenya Wildlife Service in Kisumu, despite initial search efforts yielding no immediate results.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a prime suspect described as a former boyfriend, who is alleged to have issued threats against the victim over the past two months and repeatedly visited her residence at RIAT.
Detectives say the coordinated probe involving digital forensics and witness accounts helped narrow down the suspect, who is believed to have orchestrated the assault, disappearance and killing of the student.
Authorities have assured the public that investigations are ongoing, with police pledging to pursue all individuals linked to the case to ensure justice for the slain student and her grieving family.
