Maximillian John Madeni, a Tanzanian gold dealer known within the local trade circles of Bondo, now finds himself at the center of a grim criminal investigation following the discovery of a missing student’s body.
Madeni was reportedly involved in a romantic relationship with Alice Riang’a, a promising second-year student at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST). While Madeni went about his business in the gold trade, Alice was pursuing her dreams through a Bachelor of Education in Science, dreams that were abruptly cut short in early May 2026.
The alarm was first raised around May 6, when Alice failed to return to her usual routines, prompting a missing person’s report. For four agonizing days, her whereabouts remained a mystery until the search ended in heartbreak on May 10. Her body was discovered discarded in a bush in the Barkowino area of Bondo Town
Following the discovery and the forensic results, police tracked down and arrested Madeni. Authorities are currently piecing together the nature of their relationship and the events leading up to Alice’s disappearance on May 6.
As the community of Bondo and the university fraternity mourn the loss of a young educator, Maximillian John Madeni remains in custody, assisting police with investigations into a case that has shocked the region.
