Police in Kirinyaga County are investigating a case where a woman was found brutally murdered with her eyes gouged out at Piai village in Kirinyaga.

According to eyewitness reports, one hand of the deceased whose body had been burnt with acidic chemicals had also been cuffed by the unknown assailants.

Residents narrated how the woman went missing, forcing the family to embark on a thorough search for her.

However, on Thursday morning, they were shocked to learn that she had been killed and dumped in an abandoned house near a cemetery at Embu Countryside.

Shocked residents speculated that it was likely the woman was hacked to death elsewhere and dumped inside the abandoned building to cover up the evidence.

“We want to know the motive behind the heinous act,” a resident, Pastor Boniface Mwangi said.

A member of the Nyumba Kumi Initiative, Ms Nancy Wambui lamented that the woman had been killed in a very cruel manner.

"I was at home when I received information that a woman had been found dead. I immediately rushed to the scene and I was shocked to find the woman whose body had been badly mutilated lying dead," said Ms Wambui.

The villagers called on the police to ensure that the killers are apprehended and brought to book.

“The killers behaved like beasts and they should be sought and punished in accordance with the rule of law," said Pastor Musa Maina.

They decried of risen cases of insecurity in the area and urged police to intensify night patrols.

Police along the border have said they have launched investigations.