A love affair whose participants tried hard to keep it a secret has turned tragic after the two lovers and the woman’s son from a previous relationship were found dead.
Charity Cherop Cheboi was found dead in her bedroom in a house at Government Quarters along Jogoo Road, Nairobi, after her son’s father frantically looked for her for two days without success. The 34-year-old was an employee of the Registrar of Persons Department stationed at the Mathare Huduma Centre.
Her son, whom neighbours knew as Allan, was supposed to turn eight in a few weeks.
The boy was a Grade 2 pupil at the Mary Immaculate Educational Centre and Primary School located within the neighbourhood.
The man who was found dead together with the two is said to be Charity’s boyfriend. He was identified by neighbours as Kevin and reported to be a university student. He was not a regular visitor to the house but when he did, he stayed for a few days or weeks.
The last time Ms Cheboi and her son were seen alive was on Sunday afternoon buying groceries after coming from Church. Described by neighbours as a staunch Christian, Ms Cheboi rarely missed going for service at Our Lady of Visitation Catholic Church along Jogoo Road.
Nothing looked amiss until the management of Mary Immaculate Educational Centre noticed Allan had not reported to school on Monday. They decided to call his father to find out why since Ms Cheboi’s phone was not being answered. Allan’s father did not also know why his son had not reported to school but promised to find out.
Allan, Charity Cherop Cheboi's son who was found dead together with his mother and her lover at Government Quarters along Jogoo Road, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Pool
After trying and failing to reach her ex-lover for a whole day, Allan’s father decided to visit their house at Government Quarters and find out what was wrong. The door was locked from the inside, prompting neighbours who had been summoned to help break in. That is when the horror struck them.
“A woman, her child and boyfriend murdered at Jogoo Road Government Quarters, opposite Shell petrol station/St. Stephens ACK Church,” an initial police report about the incident which the Nation has seen said.
“The woman was working at the Registrar of Persons office, Mathare," said the report.
Government Quarters where Ms Cheboi lived is a sprawling compound with over a dozen blocks of apartments used to house civil servants. A number of police officers are housed there too. Ms Cheboi and her son lived on the second floor of one of the apartments that is near the gate together with Kevin, whom Charity introduced as her cousin to whoever asked.
With such a high number of security officers living within the same compound, residents interviewed by the Nation said it is very rare for crime to happen there. Yet, sometime during the weekend, three people were murdered in one house and no one noticed.
Ms Cheboi and Allan’s bodies were found on the floor of her bedroom. She had a bruise on the right side of her face which was swollen. Her son’s mouth had some blood which had spilled through his teeth. They were both holding rosaries in their hands and their bodies had started decomposing. There was also some vomit on the bed.
Kevin’s body was found in the toilet. His hands and feet were both tied using an electrical cord. His clothes were splattered with blood. It was, however not immediately known if the blood on Kevin’s clothes was his since his body had no visible injury, according to neighbours who first accessed the scene before it got cordoned off by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“He left in the morning and came back at around 2pm,” said Charles Gachara.
Nairobi Region Police Commander Rashid Yakub said there were signs of struggle in the house. The rooms were in disarray.
But what is baffling detectives is when the crime happened. Also, how come no one heard the commotion? And how did the door end up locked from the inside?
Additionally the bodies of the three were at different stages of decomposition when they were discovered on Tuesday afternoon. Ms Cheboi and Allan’s bodies had decomposed more that Kevin’s.
There was also an unlit jiko (charcoal burner) which was found in the washroom that Kevin’s body was found in.
