A young woman who went missing from Mukangu village in Kirinyaga County on Sunday has been found dead, with preliminary investigations suggesting she was raped before being hacked to death.
The lifeless body of Sella Wangithi, 25, was found dumped at her boyfriend's compound in what is suspected to be a love triangle. The body was covered with banana leaves.
According to the deceased's family, Wangithi went missing on Sunday and that was the last time she was seen alive.
"We looked for her everywhere but on Wednesday afternoon, we found her lying dead and covered with banana leaves within the compound of the suspect," said Ms Esther Murugi, an aunt of the deceased.
Relatives said they were able to positively identify the body of the deceased and demanded that justice be done.
"We want to know why our daughter was eliminated in such a cruel manner and legal action taken against the suspect," Ms Murugi said.
The relatives claimed that the deceased was called by her boyfriend on Sunday morning and did not return home in the evening.
"We suspect our daughter was murdered by her boyfriend over reasons which are yet to be established," said Mr James Muriuki, an uncle of the deceased.
Before her death, Wangithi, an orphan, had separated from her husband and was living with her aunt.
"I was staying with the deceased after she parted ways with her husband. The deceased had a boyfriend who called her on Sunday," said Ms Mutugi.
Kirinyaga West Sub-County Police Commander Moses Koskei said the boyfriend had been arrested as a prime suspect in the gruesome murder.
"We suspect the suspect also raped the deceased before he murdered her. An inner cloth, believed to belong to the deceased was found at the scene. This suggests that the deceased could have been sexually abused," Mr Koskei said.
He said the matter was being treated as a murder and the suspect would soon be arraigned once investigations were completed.
The body of the deceased has been taken to the Karatina Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Mr Koskei urged the relatives to be patient and assured them that the suspect would be punished according to the rule of law.
