Siaya family seeks justice for kin killed at disco matanga
By Eric Juma, October 10, 2025A family in Alego/Usonga sub-county is crying for justice after their 24-year-old kin died under unclear circumstances at Ndere village, Central Alego location, on Friday, October 10, 2025, morning.
The deceased is said to have been killed by his friends at a funeral night vigil (disco matanga) at around 1.00 am.
Confirming the incident, Siaya County police commander Evaline Cherotich said the body was taken to Siaya County Referral Hospital mortuary for preservation and a postmortem as investigations continue. The motive of the killing is yet to be established.
“The body has been taken to Siaya Referral Hospital mortuary. We are yet to find out the cause of his death, but the detectives are still on the ground,” she told K24 Digital.
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Mother breaks down
His mother Philister Apondi, said her son left home to attend the funeral night vigil in the neighbourhood together with his other peers at around 10.00 pm on Thursday, October 9, 2025, after taking supper.
She narrated that a phone call from one of the mourners woke her up at around 1 am, and the shocking news was broken to her. It was at that juncture that the alarm was raised and the area chief was alerted.
“At around 1 am in the night, I got a phone call that my fifth son is dead. A few minutes later, some youths stormed my home in the wee hours of the night while wailing that Meshack had been murdered at an adjacent village,” she said.
“I have on several occasions warned Meshack against attending the night vigils, but he ignores me now; he is no more. Together with some neighbours, they rushed to the scene and established that indeed Meshack was dead.”
Insecurity in Siaya
The incident happened two weeks after Murkomen had outlined a roadmap for Siaya residents on what they must do to curb the disco matanga culture that remains prevalent in the county.
Speaking during a Jukwaa la Usalama meeting in Siaya County on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Murkomen linked the rising cases of crime, including defilement, to the practice, which he said is highly cherished in the area.
He castigated the culture, noting that it has caused more harm than good in the wider Western and Nyanza regions, urging community members to take the lead in curbing disco matanga before the enactment of a proposed law that seeks to ban it completely.
Murkomen suggested that such forums as Jukwaa la Usalama, which he pledged will continue every two to three months even in his absence under local leadership, could help reduce the practice. He also emphasised the importance of regular public barazas in addressing the issue.
He further urged the local administration to engage bereaved families directly and discourage them from holding disco matangas while also explaining the possible consequences of the activity.