Girl, 7, found dead as child killers spill more blood
Matembwe villagers in Njombe District prepare to lower the coffin carrying the body of Racheal Malekela in the grave during her burial yesterday. She was killed by unidentified people on Friday night. PHOTO | GODFREY KAHANGO
Njombe. Another child, Racheal Malekela, 7, was found dead on Friday night at Matembwe Village in Njombe District as the spate of reported ‘ritual’ child killings and disappearances continues to rock the area.
The body of the child was found dumped in a forest owned by her parents, just a few metres from her family home.
Matembwe Village chairman Brayson Malekela (who is also the paternal uncle of the deceased child), told The Citizen yesterday that he received reports of the missing child on Friday evening, at around 6pm.
Mr Malekela said he informed the rest of the community members who launched a search in all areas around the home, including the forests around the village, they also inspected vehicles found in the area.
The mother of the deceased, Petronila Nisilu, arrived home from work and discovered that her child was missing. The father of the child, identified by one name as Mr Chelio, was still at work by that time.
“This child (who was found dead), had initially gone to work with her mother in the farm but later, the mother told her to go back home and attend to some domestic chores. But, when the mother arrived home, she did not find the child. That’s when she informed her husband, and then the search for the missing child started,’’ said Mr Malekela, the village chairman.
It wasn’t until around 10pm when the child was found dead, with injuries in the neck. This was after a long search. The child was buried yesterday.
Njombe District Commissioner Ruth Msafiri said the district was passing through a difficult time due the series of child abductions and killings in the area.
“The government has already sent a task force to investigate the killings and they are working now,’’ she said at the funeral yesterday in Njombe District.
Meanwhile, four people were killed in Wanging’ombe District in Njombe Region after they were suspected being behind the spate killings of children in the region.
Njombe Regional Commissioner Christopher Ole Sendeka said the people were killed by an angry mob after a report of the killing a 7-year-old girl in Matembwe Village.
The four were killed in different incidents after news about Rechael killing spread in the district.
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