In a quiet village in eastern Kenya, a long-standing family mystery has taken a grim turn. Police in Kitui County say they have discovered the body of a man who vanished more than two years ago, buried in a shallow grave on his own land.
The remains are believed to be those of Ngui Ngunza, a respected elder from Nguuni village in Mwingi West. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) say his son, Musee Ngui, has confessed to killing him and concealing the body.
For more than two years, relatives were told Ngunza had travelled. That story, police now say, was a lie. “The family lived with uncertainty all this time, not knowing what had happened,” said a local officer familiar with the case.
The breakthrough came late last month when Musee was arrested in Matuu, Machakos County. He had been hiding there while facing separate accusations of defiling and impregnating his two daughters. During questioning, police say, he admitted to killing his father.
Guided by the suspect, detectives on Tuesday led villagers and family members to a patch of ground behind the family homestead. Under heavy police guard, officers exhumed human remains from a shallow grave. Shocked residents gathered silently as forensic teams carried the remains away.
Relatives say the discovery has brought some closure, though grief remains heavy. “At least now we know the truth,” said one family member. “We want justice for our father.”
Police confirmed Musee remains in custody. Formal charges are expected to follow once investigations are complete.
The case has drawn widespread attention across Kenya, both for the brutality of the alleged crime and for the anguish it left behind. For a family in Mwingi, the silence of two years has ended, but the sorrow of loss lingers.
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