Man arrested over murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl

Detectives have arrested a suspect, Stanley Odero over the brutal murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Masana village in South Maragoli, Kenya.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation, DCI, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, November 13, 2026.

The victim, Draron Kanagi, a Grade 8 pupil at Hamasana Primary School, went missing on the evening of May 18, 2026, while making her way home from school.

When she failed to return, her family launched a desperate search, hoping against hope that she would be found safe.

Their worst fears were confirmed the following afternoon when two women collecting firewood stumbled upon her lifeless body in a tree plantation in Masana Village, South Maragoli Location.

The scene bore disturbing evidence of a brutal crime. 

Preliminary investigations established that the young girl had been defiled before being strangled with barbed wire and tied to a tree. Her schoolbag, containing her books, was recovered nearby.

The body was subsequently moved to Vihiga County Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination, as detectives embarked on an intensive investigation to bring the perpetrator to justice.

On Friday, November 13, 2026, detectives from Vihiga Sub County arrested Stanley Odero, 24, a resident of Masana Village, following extensive forensic investigations that yielded a positive DNA match linking him to the crime.

He remains in custody undergoing processing pending arraignment.

“The DCI sends its condolences to the family friends and relatives of Draron Kanagi and remains committed to ensuring that justice is served,” the statement read.