Body of refugee girl killed to be exhumed today for postmortem

Gaala Aden Abdi was killed for allegedly resisting a forced marriage

by STEPHEN ASTARIKO

News25 April 2025 - 14:10

In Summary

The incident drew condemnation in the country after it also emerged that she was subjected to severe abuse, and ultimately murdered, and her body burned beyond recognition.
She was immediately buried in accordance with Muslim rituals.

Wajir law court principal magistrate Roselyn Aganyo

The body of Gaala Aden Abdi, a refugee girl who was killed for allegedly resisting a forced marriage, is set for exhumation today [Friday].

The 17-year-old girl, a refugee from Dadaab Refugee Camp, was kidnapped from her home at Dagahaley refugee camp, under the cover of darkness and transported 150km to Wara Adenmasajida in Wajir South for marriage.

The incident drew condemnation in the country after it also emerged that she was subjected to severe abuse, and ultimately murdered, and her body burned beyond recognition.

She was immediately buried in accordance with Muslim rituals.

The postmortem result will provide enough evidence that is required to support the case.

Wajir law court principal magistrate Roselyn Aganyo had on Wednesday expressed her frustrations, saying that justice delayed is justice denied to the victim.

“This is a very serious case, and justice must be served to the deceased victim and the family. I have ordered police to expedite the investigation within ten days, since justice delayed is Justice denied,” she said.

She expressed concern about the delay, saying further delay was likely to destroy the evidence required for justice.

She further stated that currently the nature of the case was murder since life was lost, but using the postmortem result, various tests and photographs will help to produce more evidence on the torture and the alleged ordeal on the victim’s body set ablaze.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights( KNCHR) recently responded to her case, demanding justice for the victim and her family.

Condemning the incident, they said the horrific murder of 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, whose life was tragically taken on March 22, 2025, was shocking.

“The KNHCR strongly condemns this heinous crime and demands action to be taken against the perpetrators of this brutal act,” read the statement.

The organisation said the incident went beyond mere murder, it was the worst form of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and constitutes femicide.

“This serves as a stark reminder of the lethal repercussions of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the ongoing prevalence of harmful cultural practices in Kenya. The Commission demands an end to all forms of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), including child marriages and forced marriages,” the commission said in a statement.

They called on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the National Police Service to expedite investigations and ensure all perpetrators of the heinous act face the full force of the law.

The commission further called on the Department of Refugee Services to prioritise the implementation of the Refugee Act 2021, which establishes a legal framework for recognising, protecting, and managing refugees in Kenya with special focus on those with inter-sectional vulnerabilities, while taking into consideration the domestic legal frameworks.