Nakuru County is grappling with a disturbing surge in unsolved murders, leaving families devastated and the community in turmoil.
From the tragic death of a police officer to the unsolved murders of innocent young lives, the locals have taken issues with the slow wheels of justice to bring to book the culprits.
On November 3, 2022, Constable Onwonga left his station at the Ruiru Recce Squad camp to attend his six-year-old son's graduation in Nakuru County.
After the ceremony, the 30-year-old is reported to have planned to meet his brothers in town to watch a football match before heading home.
However, their evening took a tragic turn when at Stimaline in the Mazembe area, they were ambushed by more than seven armed assailants.
Onywoki was brutally attacked, stabbed, and struck on the forehead.
Once authorities were informed that Onywoki was a police officer, he was rushed to Nakuru Level Five Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 5am.
Having joined the General Service Unit (GSU) in 2018, Onywoki had been stationed at the Ruiru Recce Squad until his untimely demise.
His death, which remains unresolved, has seen his relatives join calls for improved security and justice for victims in Nakuru County.
On February 19, 2023, Elsie Waithera,3, was reported missing after leaving home to deliver water to her grandmother's kiosk. Sadly, her lifeless body was discovered in a maize plantation two hours later.
The brutal nature of the crime against the PP1 pupil sparked public outrage and protests to demand justice.
Nakuru North DCI Officer Josephine Wambui says that a suspect was apprehended, but later released after DNA tests yielded negative results.
The case remains unresolved, leaving the community in distress over the lack of effective investigative outcomes.
On June 4, 2023, the body of 16-year-old Beauty Njoki, a Form Two student at St John Secondary School in Bahati Sub-County, was discovered in a thicket near her home.
Njoki's uncle’s uncle, Joseph Waweru, said she had gone missing the previous day, and her body was found the next afternoon.
"All we're demanding is justice for our dead daughter. Investigations should be fast-tracked so that we get closure," she said.
Two suspects were arrested, but delays in DNA testing and technical issues have stalled the investigation.
Ms Wambui indicated that further investigation would be necessary due to complications with the DNA results, which adds to the family's anguish and frustration.
“The results have overstayed, we were told that the machine broke down. We will have to start the investigation afresh,” Ms Wambui said.
In January, Dr Labaan Kiptoo Langat, a 26-year-old intern physician at Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Maternity Wing, was found dead in a trench by security guards. Dr Langat had been seen leaving an entertainment joint before his body was discovered.
A post-mortem revealed that he died from manual strangulation, with additional injuries to his neck, head, abdomen, wrists, and lips. Despite the clarity of the cause of death, the case remains unresolved, with no suspects apprehended.
Last July, Eileen Cherotich, a second-year student at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, was found dead near Eveready roundabout along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
Two suspects were briefly held but were later released due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
On Monday, Nakuru West DCI Officer, Charles Kamau, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing with authorities pursuing the prime suspect, who remains at large.
