The embattled Chairlady of Kibuye Market, filmed violently attacking two businesswomen, has been arrested.
Judith Matengo, widely known as Nyaramba was arrested following a dramatic overnight police operation in Kisumu, after the incident caused public uproar and renewed concerns about security and leadership wrangles in one of the region’s largest open-air markets.
The attack occurred, Monday, at around 4.pm, according to police report filed at Kondele Police Station under OB 42/17/11/2025.
The victims Mercy Otieno Okoth and Rozzette Adhiambo, had convened a routine chamaa meeting at Kibuye Market, when a group of approximately ten people stormed the venue.
According to the victim’s statement, the group was allegedly led by Matengo, who is accused of confronting the women while armed with a wooden rod, before launching a violent assault that left both women with serious bodily injuries.
Footage, widely circulated on social media shows a woman, believed to be the chairlady, striking one of the victims repeatedly as she lies on the ground, helpless.
Confirming the incident, Kisumu Central Deputy Sub-county Police Commander, Bakari Mwanauli, said the first complainant Mercy Otieno, sustained severe injuries to her face, shoulders, arms, and back.
Her counterpart, Rozzette Adhiambo, suffered injuries to her shoulders, ribs, arms, and back. Police who responded to the commotion at the scene, he said, found that the suspect had already fled.
He said the officers then escorted the victims to Lumumba Sub-county Hospital, where they are still receiving treatment as investigations continue.
Hours after the assault, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Nyanza Regional Headquarters, and a team from Kondele Police Station, launched an intelligence-driven manhunt for Matengo.
The operation, led by Kondele Police Station Commander, Daniel Ogechi, extended late into the night.
The suspect engaged officers in a hide-and-seek chase within Kibuye Market, slipping through various stalls and storage areas in an attempt to evade arrest.
She was eventually flushed-out of her hideout in the market and booked at the Kisumu Railway Police Station under OB 02/18/11/2025 at 3am. She faces preliminary charges of assault, though police say additional charges are likely, as the investigation progresses.
Her accomplices are, however, still at large, and efforts to identify and apprehend them were ongoing.
Mwanauli said all suspects involved in the case were being pursued and will face the full force of the law.
Police, he added, have also launched a parallel investigation, to establish the motive behind the daytime attack, which has sparked concern among traders at Kibuye Market, one of the busiest commercial hubs in Western Kenya.
The incident has revived discussions about leadership disputes, factional tensions, and security challenges within the Market.
The two victims, both well-known traders, are expected to record further statements, once their medical condition stabilizes, as the suspect is set to be arraigned in court later today.
by Chris Mahandara
