Three men have been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Gaala Adan, a refugee girl from Wajir County, in a case that has drawn national attention over issues of child marriage and gender-based violence.
On Tuesday, May 6, the suspects — Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, Mussa Sheikh Ahmed, and Adan Mohamme Ahmed — appeared before the Garissa High Court, where they pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the three are accused of killing Gaala on March 22, 2025, at Lolkuta South Sub-location in Hadado Sub-County. The prosecution alleges that the crime stemmed from a forced marriage arrangement.
Investigators found that the minor, born on January 1, 2008, had been married to the first accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, in a traditional Somali ceremony held on February 22, 2025, at Dagahaley Refugee Camp. Tiffow is 40 years old.
However, prosecutors say Gaala rejected the union shortly after the ceremony, leading to repeated violent confrontations.
“The deceased, born on 1st January 2008, had been married to the first accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow (aged 40), in a ceremony held in accordance with Somali rites on 22nd February 2025 at Dagahaley Refugee Camp. It is alleged that the marriage quickly turned sour, resulting in physical violence after the deceased reportedly changed her mind and turned down the marriage,” the ODPP said in a statement on Wednesday.
Following Gaala’s death, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed investigators to exhume her body and conduct a proper postmortem led by a government pathologist. The findings led to the suspects being formally charged.
Justice John Onyiego ordered the preparation and submission of a pre-bail report before the court rules on bail or bond terms.
Meanwhile, the suspects will remain in custody at Garissa GK Prison until May 15, 2025, when the case will return to court for mention.
