Category: Society

A family in Ebuyangu Village, Vihiga County, is mourning the death of one of their own, Police Constable Manase Ndakala, whose body was retrieved from River Yala under unclear circumstances.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death, as the prime suspect remains in custody.

The family is demanding justice following the discovery of the officer’s body, which had reportedly been in the water for nearly two weeks.

Speaking while mourning her son, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the deceased’s mother, Farida Ndakaya, said her son went missing on October 17, leaving the family in distress as they searched for him.

She appealed to the government to intervene and support her family, saying the deceased was the person she depended on and had left behind a wife and two children.

“I have suffered a lot. The government and other people helped me search for my son. I have finally found him, but his body was recovered from the water and is now at the mortuary. I am asking the government to help me because he was the person I depended on. He has left me, his wife and two children,” she said.

The deceased’s brother, Evans Ndakala, recounted the events leading to the officer’s disappearance, alleging that the officer had gone to visit a female friend who sells illicit brew.

According to Ndakala, a confrontation broke out at the woman’s residence, prompting the family to begin tracing the officer after he failed to return home.

He said the family later received information that the house had been ransacked, with blood reportedly spotted at the scene, raising suspicions that the officer had been killed.

Ndakala further claimed that the family suspected the body could have been dumped in the river or elsewhere before it was eventually discovered.

Emuhaya Sub-County Police Commander George Opera confirmed that the officer’s body was retrieved from the waters of River Yala before being identified by family members.

He said the body was subsequently collected and taken to the mortuary in Luanda Sub-County.

Meanwhile, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has joined the family in demanding justice, terming the circumstances surrounding the officer’s disappearance and death disturbing.

In a statement, Osotsi said he was deeply saddened by the death of Manase Ndakala, noting that the officer hailed from West Bunyore and had reportedly gone missing for about two weeks before his body was discovered in River Yala.

The senator extended his condolences to the bereaved family, friends, colleagues and residents of West Bunyore, urging investigators to conduct urgent, thorough and transparent investigations.

Osotsi called on authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the officer’s disappearance and death, identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice.

Residents and family members have also appealed to detectives to expedite investigations and ensure the case is handled conclusively.

A second female body has been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, as multi-agency teams continue search-and-rescue operations nearly two weeks after the disaster.

The National Police Service (NPS) confirmed the latest development on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, saying four people had so far been pulled alive from the rubble.

The recovery brings the number of bodies retrieved from the site to two, following the earlier recovery of a female body during the rescue operation.

In an update shared on its official X account, the police said the multi-agency team recovered the second body on Tuesday as emergency responders continued clearing debris from the site.

“The National Police Service continues to fully support the ongoing search-and-rescue operation in Eastleigh, Nairobi, and wishes to update the public on its progress,” the service stated.

“Unfortunately, the multi-agency team retrieved a second female body from the site today, 3 November 2026,” it added.

The police urged members of the public to keep away from the affected site to allow emergency responders to continue with the operation.

The service said the presence of specialised equipment and rescue personnel required adequate space to clear the remaining debris safely.

“Members of the public are urged to keep away from the affected site to allow emergency responders, specialised equipment, and rescue personnel to continue the arduous task of clearing the remaining debris,” the statement read.

The NPS also conveyed its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased while wishing those injured a quick recovery.

“The National Police Service extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased and wishes the injured a quick and full recovery,” it added.

The latest recovery comes as rescue teams continue working to establish the whereabouts of people believed to have been trapped when the 18-storey building collapsed on October 23, 2026.

On Monday, November 2, 2026, the Director of the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), Duncan Ochieng, said the number of people feared trapped had dropped from 16 to 11.

Ochieng explained that five people previously reported missing had been reunited with their families after authorities established that they were not at the disaster scene when the building collapsed.

He said the operation had been slowed by limited working space around the collapsed structure and the need to protect neighbouring buildings that remained occupied.

“The operation will take longer due to the smaller size of the area, and the number of bulldozers present at the site is only two,” Ochieng said.

He explained that one machine was being used to spread and clear debris, while the other was excavating the rubble in search of possible survivors or victims.

The operation was estimated to be approximately 85 per cent complete, although authorities warned that clearing the remaining debris required careful coordination.

Meanwhile, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the disaster management response, questioning the time taken to clear the collapsed structure and the emergency equipment deployed.

The National Police Service said further updates would be issued as new developments emerged.