Residents of Gambogi area in Hamisi Sub County, Vihiga County have called upon the security organs in the county to address rising insecurity issues in the area following the discovery of a decomposing body of an unidentified woman.
Speaking to the press at Gambogi market, the Chair of the Gambogi market, Albert Idagiza, said that he received news in the morning from the market cleaners that there was a foul smell emanating from the building, which is a market whose construction was still ongoing and therefore remained unutilized.
“I arrived at the market and discovered that it was a body that had been wrapped under so many clothes, but when the police later came, they identified it as a decomposing body of a woman whose identity is still yet unknown,” explained Idagiza.
Idagiza further said that residents have called for the demolition of the building, as it serves no purpose because it remains unutilized.
The Assistant Chief, Kitagwa Sub-location, Everlyne Singa, told the press that she had received a call by traders around the Gambogi market of an unknown foul smell coming from the unutilized market building.
“I arrived at the market and immediately called the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Gambogi Police Station who arrived and upon discovering the decomposing body of a woman, he alerted officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), who took the body to Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital funeral home awaiting further investigation,” said Singa.
Singa made an appeal to Gambogi residents to volunteer any information that they may have to help resolve the matter and report it to Gambogi Police Station or even visit the funeral home to help identify the body.
A trader at Gambogi, Everlyne Nawacho, when interviewed by the press over the matter, expressed concerns about the general security situation in Vihiga County, noting that it continued to deteriorate with murder and rape cases increasingly being recorded.
She noted that the market had security lights, but none of them were functional, wondering if they existed there just for aesthetics.
“As for our security officers, you always respond to petty offenses much faster, but for cases like this that require much urgency, you usually take your time. In today’s case, the deceased body was discovered at six in the morning, but the body has been collected at one in the afternoon,” stated Singa.
She further explained that the building had not been in use since local business people had vacated the premises to allow for construction.
She further appealed to the local leaders, especially the area Member of Parliament, Charles Gimose, and the area Members of the County Assembly to intervene and help resolve the insecurity issues in the area.
By Yvonne Misango and Florence Oteng’o
