Bedroom slaughter: Night killers crept in, broke through window and killed college principal

The murder of a senior educator in Kakamega has heightened fear in a restive Okumu village of Lubao, Kakamega County, where several theories have emerged as detectives try to unravel the motive behind Gerishom Wafula Manase’s brutal death.

His death is being linked to marital problems, a love triangle, a land deal gone sour or work-related disagreements. The 51-year-old man was the Deputy Principal in charge of Academics at Navakholo Technical and Vocational College.

He was butchered inside his bedroom in his rural home in Lubao, Shinyalu Constituency, in a chilling night attack on November 8, 2026. The incident has left both his family and neighbours shaken.

The father of four was attacked by unknown assailants who reportedly scaled the perimeter fence, broke into the house through a window and made their way to the master bedroom, where they descended on him with crude weapons.

The attackers escaped with a television set, two laptops and two mobile phones, but the circumstances surrounding the killing have raised disturbing questions about the real motive of the attack. Many believed it was a targeted and premeditated attack whose motive investigators are trying to unravel.

Even more intriguing are claims by people who knew the deceased that his final days were marked by unusual anxiety, alleged relationship controversies and possible disagreements involving his professional colleagues.

Police have not established any connection between these allegations and the murder, but the competing theories have added another dimension to an investigation that is increasingly attracting public attention.

Kakamega County Police Commander Tom Achiya said detectives were pursuing multiple leads, including the possibility of an inside job, a business dispute, a love triangle and a robbery that turned tragic.

“For sure, the mission was to kill, and that is why they did not bother with other people who were in the house. We are going to investigate anything that might lead us to the motive of the murder. No stone will be left unturned,” said Achiya.

Interestingly, detectives have recovered one of the stolen television sets, which had been abandoned inside a church compound within Lukume village in the neighbouring Malava constituency.

“We have recovered a television set abandoned inside a church compound. However, we are investigating the matter and the motive of the murder,” said Achiya.

The recovery has given investigators a possible trail to follow as they seek to establish how the stolen property ended up in the church compound and whether the attackers had planned to dispose of the items along their escape route.

But behind the police investigations is a deeply personal story involving allegations of marital disagreements and extramarital relationships that relatives claim had previously caused tension in Manase’s private life.

A cousin who spoke to The Nairobian described the deceased as a humble and sociable man whose love life often landed him in trouble.

According to the relative, Manase was recently involved in a relationship controversy at the church where he worshipped, forcing the leadership to intervene.

“I knew my cousin very well. He was a good man, down to earth, but for sure, if there is any scandal I can associate him with, it is having affairs with women outside his marriage. Before his death, his pastor had been handling a case involving him and another man’s wife at the church where he worshipped,” the cousin claimed.

The relative further alleged that the relationship disagreements had strained his marriage, with the couple reportedly experiencing difficulties before relocating from Joyland, on the outskirts of Kakamega town, to Lubao.

According to the cousin, the family had moved into the new home barely six months before the killing, with the house reportedly financed largely by Manase’s wife, who had allegedly grown tired of the marital disagreements.

The allegations have, however, not been independently verified, and police have not publicly established whether any relationship dispute had a bearing on the murder.

The mystery deepened after reports emerged that an unidentified woman had contacted the family claiming to be Manase’s wife interested in viewing his body. The development has raised fears that drama might erupt during the burial.

A close friend to Manase recounted how the deceased was unusually troubled in the week before his death. The man who requested anonymity noted that Manase appeared withdrawn and worried, unlike the cheerful person he had always known.

He urged investigators to either pursue possible job-related disagreements or a land transaction, given that Manase had expressed interest in purchasing a piece of land where he intended to construct rental apartments.

“He was not the friend I knew. He was very worried, and I suspected that all was not well, especially at work or within his inner circles. I understand there was a parcel of land he wanted to buy, and it must have had issues,” he said.

The friend did not, however, provide evidence linking the proposed land transaction or any workplace dispute to the killing.

Widow’s pain

For his widow, Linet Luvutse, the competing theories and speculation surrounding her husband’s death cannot erase the pain of losing a man with whom she had shared 23 years of her life.

The mother of four, who works in Nairobi, said she received the devastating news while away from home.

She described the killing as an unbearable loss, saying Manase had been a central figure in the family and that his death had left a huge void.

“I have not only lost a husband but a father to my children and family. He has left a huge gap in our marriage and family,” she said.

Luvutse said the attackers broke into the house through the living room window before making their way to the bedroom, where they killed her husband and escaped with a few household valuables.

She revealed that the homestead had previously been targeted by thieves, making the latest attack particularly disturbing. According to her, this was the third time intruders had broken into the property.

During the first incident, nothing was stolen, while the second attack saw thieves make away with scrap metal. She now fears the earlier incidents could have been a precursor to the fatal attack.

“The first time they came, they did not steal anything, but the second time they stole metal scrap. We are left wondering whether they were coming to spy before making the attack they have now made,” she said.

Luvutse said she wished the attackers had taken whatever they wanted and spared her husband’s life.

“It was a very devastating call and message that my husband had been killed. How I wish the assailants could have just taken anything they wanted and left my husband alive,” she said.

She called on the government to strengthen security in the area, saying residents had endured repeated incidents of burglary and other criminal activities.

The widow’s fears are shared by neighbours who say Lubao and its surrounding villages have increasingly become unsafe, with criminals targeting homes and livestock.

Housemaid Sheila Shitinji, who was inside the home during the incident, said she last saw Manase at around 7pm before retiring to bed.

She said she did not speak to him that evening and only learnt of his death the following morning after receiving a call from his wife.

“I saw him on Saturday evening, but we did not talk. I went to sleep until the next morning when I was told by his wife that my boss had been killed,” she said.

Shitinji said she later went to the bedroom and found her employer lying lifeless on the floor.

 “I went to the bedroom and found him lying on the floor, already dead,” she said.

Narrow escape

Meanwhile, neighbours say Manase’s murder has exposed the extent of insecurity in the area, with some recounting frightening encounters with suspected burglars.

Caroline Juma, a neighbour, said she heard screams coming from Manase’s compound during the attack but was too frightened to leave her house because she was alone.

She revealed that she had narrowly escaped a similar attack just days earlier when suspected burglars attempted to break into her house through a bedroom window.

Juma said she had woken up at around 5am to charge her phone in the sitting room when she discovered intruders attempting to access her bedroom. “I woke up to charge my phone in the sitting room and found the intruders already trying to break into my bedroom through the window. I screamed, alerting my neighbours, who rushed to my rescue before the attackers could get inside,” she said.

The incident left her traumatised, and Manase’s killing has since intensified her fears that residents could be living among criminals who monitor their movements and strike when least expected.

“Within Lubao and its environs, nobody feels safe anymore. We go to bed wondering whether we will wake up safely. We are appealing to the government to rescue us because we have completely lost our peace,” she said.

For Julius Masinde of Mukuyu Anditi Sub-location, the murder came at a time when his family was still struggling to recover from a robbery incident.

Masinde said robbers broke into his homestead and stole his prized bull, which he had spent years raising.

Although the raid left him devastated, the killing of Manase had made the situation even more frightening.

“Thieves broke into my home and stole my biggest bull, which I had spent years raising. Before we could recover from that loss, we woke up to news that our neighbour had been killed,” he said.

Masinde said residents were increasingly becoming victims of criminals who appeared to have little fear of the consequences of their actions.

“We are suffering. We need the government to come up with a proper plan to protect ordinary citizens. We cannot continue losing our livestock and neighbours while living in fear,” he added.

Manase’s cousin, Billy Mutimba, described the deceased as a peaceful man who maintained cordial relations with those around him. He challenged authorities to move with speed and nab the killers.

“He was a very social and humble man. He did not cross paths with anyone, and what we are demanding is justice for my cousin,” he said.

Locals want police to increase patrols, investigate the wave of burglaries and livestock theft and establish whether the incidents are connected.

The killing has also drawn the attention of political leaders and the education fraternity.

Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe expressed shock over the death of the college administrator, describing it as a cruel loss to his family, colleagues and the technical training sector.

“It is with deep sorrow that we learn of the cruel demise of Mr Gerishom Wafula Manase, Deputy Principal (Academics) at Navakholo Technical and Vocational College,” he said.

Wangwe called on security agencies to expedite investigations and ensure those behind the killing are brought to justice.

As detectives pursue crucial leads, the recovery of the television set has offered a potential breakthrough, but the bigger question remains what drove the attackers to subject Manase to such a brutal death.