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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.