Police are in pursuit of a gang of around 20 people that raided a village in Kwale and killed an Imam and abducted an elder.
They revealed that the armed men were wielding firearms and other weapons during the raid.
The Mbokoni mosque Imam in Kwale County was among two people killed in cold blood in the Saturday night attack.
Omar Shehe Fuvwe, 51, was slashed to death by assailants who stormed a village at around 9:30 pm and abducted 50-year old local elder Bakari Dondo.
Dondo's body was later found about a kilometre away from his home with the head missing.
The Standard reported that his head was buried about 80 meters from where his trunk was discovered.
Msambweni police boss Nehemiah Bitok divulged that the motive of the killings was unknown and police had launched investigation to unravel the circumstances of the killing.
He added that the body parts of the two were in a bad state following deep the Panga cuts inflicted.
The gunmen were said to have later escaped on foot after the incident.
"We are yet to establish the motive of the killings of the two elders. We are following crucial leads on the same," said police boss.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to Kwale County Hospital mortuary.
