What was supposed to be a trip to Kitengela in search of work ended tragically for Joy Ndunge Mutisya, a married mother of two from Machakos.
Joy’s husband, James Mutisya, reportedly remained at home with their two children—one in Form Three and another in Grade Six—believing his wife had travelled to Kitengela looking for employment.
According to accounts of the incident, Joy had instead travelled to Kanyonyoo, where she was allegedly meeting Police Constable Bernard Siambe, a man she was reportedly in a relationship with.
On Sunday night, August 3, 2025, Siambe was reportedly on duty at the report office of Kanyonyoo Police Station. He had allegedly been issued an AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition.
According to witness accounts, the officer left his post and went to Password Bar, where he reportedly found Joy drinking with a friend.
An argument allegedly followed.
Joy reportedly ran from the bar and sought refuge at a nearby house belonging to her friend, Jane Ndanu. Siambe allegedly followed her into the house.
Witness Stanley Kiilu reportedly told investigators that Ndanu pleaded with the officer not to shoot.
The officer allegedly opened fire, killing both women.
Their bodies were later taken to the mortuary at Kitui Level Five Hospital, while spent cartridges were reportedly recovered from the scene.
Joy’s father-in-law, Jonathan Waema, later expressed shock at the number of injuries sustained by his daughter-in-law.
After the shooting, Siambe reportedly fled on foot.
According to the account, he contacted his OCS and disclosed where he had abandoned the firearm. Police later recovered the AK-47 from a thicket near the Matuu road, together with 26 rounds remaining in the magazine.
The officer reportedly disappeared into the bush in the direction of Matuu, prompting a manhunt.
Kitui Police Commander Martha Nge’tich was reported to have confirmed that a quarrel between the officer and his girlfriend had preceded the killings.
However, the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the subsequent events should be distinguished from allegations and confirmed findings.
For Joy’s family, the tragedy reportedly revealed a part of her life they had not known about.
Her sister said she only knew the man as Benard and had never met him.
Days before her death, Joy had reportedly posted on Facebook asking that her eventual eulogy mention that she had been “left thirty-five times”—a post that has since taken on a painful significance for those who knew her.
Her family later learned that the journey she had described as a search for work in Kitengela had actually taken her to Kanyonyoo.
The tragedy left her two children without their mother and her husband struggling to understand the circumstances surrounding her death.
The most serious unanswered question remains the whereabouts and legal status of Constable Bernard Siambe, identified in the account as force number 250551.
The information supplied says that he remained at large after the incident and that a manhunt was launched. Any claim about his current whereabouts, arrest or prosecution would require verification from police records or court proceedings.
The incident remains a devastating reminder of how a personal dispute can allegedly escalate into irreversible violence—particularly when a firearm issued for official duties becomes involved.
Two women lost their lives, two children were left without their mother, and a family was left searching for answers. The circumstances of the killings and the accountability of the suspect should ultimately be established through evidence and due process.