Homa Bay County is mourning the brutal killing of Professor Thomas Odhiambo, the Head of the Mathematics Department at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), who was hacked to death in a violent land dispute. His elderly father, who was with him at the time, survived with serious injuries and is admitted to Mbita Sub-County Hospital in stable condition.
The incident occurred on Tuesday at Kakrigu Village in Rusinga East Location, Mbita Sub-County, where Prof. Odhiambo and his father had gone to resolve a long-standing boundary dispute. They had arranged a meeting with the local chief and a land surveyor to formally demarcate their land, which neighbors had allegedly encroached upon. However, before the officials arrived, two young men armed with machetes launched a vicious assault.
Prof. Odhiambo sustained fatal head injuries and died instantly. His father, though badly injured, managed to escape with his life. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the assault.
Brutal killing of TUK Professor Thomas Odhiambo
Confirming the tragedy, Mbita Deputy County Commissioner Peter Mutiso said investigations are underway. “Prof. Odhiambo sustained serious injuries on the head, leading to his death. His father was also injured. They had gone to sort out a land issue in a very formal way. Two young men came and hacked him. It was unexpected and very unfortunate,” Mutiso said.
He condemned the attack, warning residents against vigilantism. “Let residents avoid taking the law into their hands. The government will not spare such people. Prof. Odhiambo was a law-abiding citizen who followed the legal way to seek redress. It is a very barbaric incident,” he added.
The professor’s body was transferred to MED 25 Kirindo Mortuary as police pursue the suspects. The killing has sparked outrage and grief, with Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo terming it “unfortunate” and urging authorities to bring the culprits to justice. “Violence never sorts our issues. May the killers and any persons who aided them be brought to book,” she said.
As police intensify their manhunt for the attackers, the community is left grappling with the tragic loss of a respected scholar remembered as both a brilliant academic and a man committed to lawful resolution of disputes.
