National Land Commission (NLC) Deputy Communications Director Jennifer Wambua should have been preparing to go to court tomorrow for cross examination on her testimony in a corruption case.
The accused include former GAA boss Dennis Chebitweyi, former Broadcasting Principal Secretary Sammy Itemere, Lugari MP Ayub Savula, his two wives Gatwiri Ringera and Hellen Kemboi, and 18 others.
Veteran Machakos journalist Jennifer Itumbi Wambua, who went missing on March 12, 2021.
Photo credit: Kitavi Mutua | Nation Media Group
The last time Wambua was to be cross-examined, she fell ill and started vomiting—forcing Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi to postpone the process to March 17. On Saturday, Ms Wambua was to visit her lawyer Daniel Maanzo to prepare for the court date.
“She was actually supposed to spend last weekend in my house. As a relative, she had promised to share her problems with me, but that never happened, as she was kidnapped that Friday,” said Mr Maanzo, who is also the MP for Makueni.
Joseph Komu (centre), the husband of Jennifer Itumbi Wambua whose body was found in the Ngong forest on March 15, 2021.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
While detectives are yet to establish any link between her murder and the graft case, her family yesterday demanded investigations into that theory. They have faulted the state for failing to protect a witness.
Detectives confirmed that Wambua’s body was at City Mortuary, with signs that she may have been strangled to death owing to bruises on her neck. The body also had bruises on the legs and arms.
Pathologists preparing for a post-mortem on Monday told Wambua’s family that the nature of injuries indicates that she was tortured and killed elsewhere before being dumped in the forest.
Joseph Komu (centre), the husband of Jennifer Wambua whose body was found in the Ngong forest on March 15, 2021.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
Wambua has been acting as communications director since December 17, 2020 after the contract of her boss, Khalid Salim, expired. She left her office on the fourth floor of Ardhi House on Nairobi’s First Ngong Avenue a few minutes after 10am last Friday, and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations now have an uphill task figuring out where she was going, why and how she ended up in Ngong Forest.
The task will not be easy as a visibly distressed Wambua left her personal belongings, including her mobile phone, in a family car that was parked at Hill Plaza, a five-minute walk from Ardhi House. Mobile phones have lately been among the key tools in tracing victims’ movements and communications, as well as suspects’ and are often the first stop for crime busters.
But even as investigations continue into Wambua’s brutal murder, one thing is certain—she knew her life was in danger and had not known much peace for the last few weeks. Nation has confirmed from her colleagues, family and even the last two people to see her alive — security guards at Hill Plaza — that she had been displaying signs of anxiety and distress for some time.
Wambua may have known that she was in trouble and was likely to lose her life. Her husband, Mr Joseph Komu, drove her to Ardhi House last Friday, arriving a few minutes before 7am.
Jeniffer Wambua in an undated photo.
Photo credit: Pool
The couple sometimes drove to work together from their Machakos home and had breakfast at Hill Plaza. Mr Komu works for the Agriculture ministry and is based at its Kilimo House headquarters.
A few minutes past 10am, Wambua was at the Hill Plaza gate. Two security workers tried to engage her as she walked into the establishment. The building has two entrances — one directly opposite the Milimani High Court and the other adjacent to the bus stop on Ngong Road.
Wambua walked in through the Ngong Road gate after Mr Komu parked the family car near it. She had a spare key to the car.
“She walked in through this gate. She appeared bothered and distracted. Her phone was peeping through her handbag and we tried to caution her that someone may snatch it. We asked her if she was okay. She did not respond, and just walked past us. She unlocked the vehicle, dropped her belongings inside and left immediately,” a security guard at Hill Plaza told Nation .
Among the items she left in the car was her packed lunch, which the family said had become her routine after she developed fear eating in restaurants. Later, Mr Komu drove out of Hill Plaza past 1pm, as he took the car for repairs. At the garage, he noticed that Ms Wambua had left her personal belongings in the boot.
Data retrieved from her mobile phone by detectives might offer an explanation on why she suddenly changed plans and left the office three hours after arrival with no intention to return, at least for the day. Last Monday, Wambua walked into the human resources office at Ardhi House and expressed frustration stemming from a car accident. On March 6, while driving in Machakos town, the former journalist collided head-on with a lorry.
She was rushed to hospital and treated for minor injuries before being discharged. Doctors advised her to take bed rest and to return for further tests. The couple agreed that she would take a break from work as advised by doctors. They drove to work on Monday, March 8, and a curious Mr Komu sought to know from the human resources managers why his wife appeared stressed up.
“She was granted five days off duty and went to see the CEO to brief her that she’d be away,” Mr Komu said.
After meeting the CEO on Monday, the couple left the NLC offices, and went to Nairobi Hospital for a check-up before proceeding to their Machakos home.
“She came to see me and explained how she had an accident the previous weekend and even showed me photographs of her damaged car,” NLC boss Kabale Tache said. While Ms Tache confirmed that Wambua mentioned being stressed. She said she had no reason to believe Wambua’s life was in danger.
However, after resting on Tuesday, she was recalled and asked to come back to the office on Wednesday, cutting short her five-day leave.
“I brought her to work on Wednesday, Thursday and the fateful Friday she disappeared and she only explained that she had been asked to do urgent office tasks that needed her attention,” Mr Komu added.
Since Saturday, Mr Komu had been searching for his wife in hospitals and police stations.
“I took the car around 11am and went to the garage where I discovered my wife’s handbag and her phone. After the car was fixed, I drove to her office to drop the items but was shocked when her colleagues told me she had not been seen that day”, said the distraught husband.
Ms Tache, who spoke to Nation on phone moments before the body was discovered, said Wambua’s last assignment was organising the launch of the commission’s strategic plan, which happened on March 5.
Reported by Kitavi Mutua, Brian Wasuna, Richard Munguti and Steve Otieno
