A 58-year-old Embu woman who went missing on Sunday was found dead near a quarry.
Jane Wambeti Njogu was allegedly raped during curfew hours. Her half-naked body was found on Monday morning. Investigations are underway.
Jane lived in Karurina area of Itabua sublocation. She was missing the whole of Sunday, prompting relatives to launch a search.
Residents suspect that some people took advantage of the dusk-to-dawn curfew to rape and kill her. They demanded thorough investigations so culprits are brought to book.
But Embu West sub-county police commander Charles Kinyua said it was not yet possible to confirm the rape claims. He said a post-mortem would be conducted to ascertain the cause of death and any other crime that might have been committed.
Kinyua, citing the information provided by officers who collected the body, said it had no physical injuries. He added that Jane was reported to have been experiencing mental problems.
The body was taken to Embu Level-5 Teaching and Referral Hosptial mortuary.
The incident came just a week after several shops were broken into in Embu town and other areas of the county. This raised fears of a surge in crime as gangsters took advantage of the curfew and downpours.
Seven suspects were arrested. Some of them were flushed out of their hideouts in caves near River Kathita. Others were nabbed in Grogan, Shauri Yako and Dallas areas.
Also seized during the operation was an assortment of goods believed to have been stolen from the business premises. They included four TV sets, clothes, shoes, alcohol, beer crates, empty bottles and hospital equipment. Victims thronged the station to identify their stolen items after hearing about the arrests.
Embu county police commander Daniel Runkunga, while displaying the items, said most of them were stolen on the night of April 14-15 when burglars broke into several shops, a bar, and a pork butchery.
Runkunga said that despite police officers working round the clock to provide protection, the thugs took advantage of heavy rains. He said the suspects will be charged once investigations are completed.
Rukunga defended his officers against accusations that they collude with criminals. He said none of the items was recovered from a police officer and urged traders to hire guards to complement police efforts.
Edited by F'Orieny