Police arrest two suspected of beheading man in Kirinyaga
Detectives combing Rubingazi river in search of the head of a boda boda rider who was beheaded.
Two suspects accused of beheading a boda boda rider and dumping his body on a rice farm in Gatuiri, Kirinyaga County, have been arrested.
Yesterday, one of the suspects led detectives to the Rubingazi river, where he said they had thrown the head. That part of the body of Eric Muriithi had been missing since May 16, when the crime was committed.
But the officers came up empty-handed after combing the river banks for hours.
Led by Mwea West Sub-County police boss Wilson Koskei, detectives said the suspect confessed that he and his accomplices had hacked the young man to death before taking his head and dumping it in the river, more than 15km from the scene of the attack.
"The suspect has brought us to this river, which borders Kirinyaga and Embu, but we have not found the head. However, we shall continue looking for it," said Mr Koskei.
He said the suspects are jailbirds and they will face the law after investigations are completed.
He observed that a third suspect was lynched recently by a mob after he was caught red-handed stealing a motorcycle from a resident.
The family of Muriithi had to bury him without the head, Mr Koskei said.
"We released the body to the family after a postmortem examination was done. The family buried a headless body. I don't know what will happen again if we … recover the head," he said.
Family members also arrived at the scene and helped detectives in the search.
Muriithi’s mother, Mary Waruguru, 43, said she was ready to bury her son's head if it was found.
"I feel that the whole body of my son should be buried," she said.
She described her son as humble and obedient and called on the detectives to ensure the suspects were prosecuted and punished.
"I want justice done following the brutal murder of my beloved son," said Ms Waruguru as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Muriithi, the second-born in a family of five, disappeared on June 16 from Ngurubani, where he lived and worked.
The following day villagers stumbled on his headless body and reported the matter to the police.
He had been stripped naked and his identity card, phone and motorcycle were missing.
Detectives said his motorcycle was recovered and would be used as evidence when the suspects are charged in court.
