Within just seven months, grief has struck twice at the home of Ms Florence Wanjiku in Maragua town, Murang’a County.
First, her three-year-old daughter Elizabeth Wamaitha, was brutally murdered and dumped in a river. Just as the family began to mourn, her 60-year-old mother, also named Elizabeth Wamaitha, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a nearby dam.
The double tragedy has left Ms Wanjiku heartbroken and questioning why such misfortune has befallen her family, exposing the community to the harsh reality of unresolved violent crimes.
Three-year-old Elizabeth Wamaitha who was defiled, murdered and her body dumped in a public dam in Maragua town.
Photo credit: Courtesy
A postmortem conducted on February 10, 2025, by pathologist Waithera Mbau at Murang’a Level Five Hospital mortuary revealed that little Wamaitha had been hit on the head with a blunt object.
She bore bruises around her eyes and neck, defiled and she had multiple injuries on her private parts. The report further indicated she was already dead when dumped into the river, as no water was found in her lungs, trachea or oesophagus.
Ms Wanjiku recalls feeding her daughter at 2pm on the day she disappeared, with the postmortem placing her death within four hours of that meal.
“Just about the time I thought I had started healing, my mother, also named was on September 22, 2025, found suspected raped and dumped in Mariki Dam, on the outskirts of Maragua town,” Ms Wanjiku said.
According to preliminary investigations, Maragua Senior Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello said the elderly woman was last seen on September 20 at Gachagi estate, where she lived.
“It is not yet clear what transpired in her final moments. Only a postmortem will reveal how she died and guide our next investigative steps,” Mr Okello said, urging family members and the public to remain calm.
He noted that the deceased had been battling depression since her granddaughter’s murder and had a history of mental illness, adding that investigators were considering both murder and suicide as possible causes of death.
“It is a sad tragedy for one family. As government, we share in their pain and are committed to pursuing justice,” Mr Okello added.
For Ms Wanjiku, the second tragedy has reopened fresh wounds.
“How much trial is enough for a simple soul like me? God, what punishment, for what sin or mistake and what atonement? If ever there was a time I needed God to renew my faith, it is now,” she lamented.
“My family is humble. We are not in shady deals and we hold no grudges. Our net worth is negligible. These tragedies leave us wondering: who is targeting us?” she posed in an interview with the Nation
Her uncle James Mburu, 73, also voiced his frustration.
“Society and government seem to have conspired against us, leaving us in endless mourning. After little Wamaitha’s murder, police promised no stone would be left unturned. Seven months later, no arrests have been made. Just as we had given up on justice, senior Wamaitha is murdered.”
“When killers are not arrested, and graves keep multiplying, it reflects failure of government,” he said.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) commissioner Ms Wambui Nyutu termed the killings “too much pain.”
Maragua MP Mary wa Maua echoed the concerns, warning that unresolved murders were tarnishing the government’s image.
“I demand security as a right for my people. It is time we audited investigative failures. My constituency has become synonymous with gruesome murders that never get resolved,” she said.
She cited the December 19, 2024, house fire at Gakoigo shopping centre, where four children perished in an 8-by-8-foot iron-sheet structure they called home.
Maragua Residents and Business Community Welfare Association coordinator, Mr Mohammed Maluki, accused the police of chronic failure.
“We have been patient for too long. Police must now show us the faces of Maragua’s killers. Let the DCI provide a register of all reported murders in the past five years and a catalogue of those resolved,” he demanded.
Area DCI boss Mr John Kanda defended his officers: “We are working hard. All cases remain active, and when suspects are arrested, they will face justice. We urge the public to share any information that may help.”
But Ms Maua dismissed his assurances as empty words: “My constituency has become a graveyard of unresolved murders. Enough is enough. We demand urgent action, not promises.”
