The brutal murder of a 90-year-old pastor and his 63-year-old wife at Rigogo Farm in Nakuru's Rongai Constituency is shrouded in mystery.
Detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are piecing together information to help arrest the killers of the elderly couple – Joseph Ndegwa Kihiti, a pastor at a local church, and his wife Rose Wanjiku, whose bodies were found inside their house on November 2, 2025.
When the couple failed to attend church service, villagers became worried and their search ended with the tragic finding.
Detectives in Nakuru County have launched a manhunt for a suspect believed to be among the assailants, even as the family raises concerns over what they say is a delay in collecting crucial evidence from the scene.
According to Mr Kihiti’s son, David Mbugua, detectives are yet to retrieve an axe, which they believe is the weapon that was used in the murder and would therefore be crucial in solving his parents’ murder.
He said a relative spotted an axe suspected in a toilet within the compound and immediately alerted investigators of the development, but it is yet to be collected as evidence.
“We informed detectives about the axe on Monday, but they have not collected it. We are worried because this could be crucial evidence in understanding what happened. Our fears is, what if the killers come back and pick it?” said Mr Mbugua.
David Mbugua holds the portrait of his 90-year-old father Joseph Kihiti in Nakuru on November 5, 2025. Mr Kihiti, a pastor, and his wife, were found brutally murdered in their house in Nakuru.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
In an interview at their home, the family said that a milk collector who usually collects milk from the homestead every morning found the gate locked last Saturday, which was unusual, but he did not raise an alarm as he thought the family had visitors at the home.
However, on Sunday morning, his father was expected at a church service and he was usually picked by a boda-boda rider. But on that day, the motorcycle operator found the gate locked and the pastor’s phone had been switched off.
“The rider thought that he had come late to pick Mr Kihiti and that he had opted for alternative means of transport to church, but to his shock he was not in church. He informed the church elders, who enlisted the services of neighbours, church members, and Nyumba Kumi officials and together they mounted a search,” Mr Mbugua said.
Ms Wanjiku’s body was lying on the couch in the living room while her husband’s body was in their bedroom.
“I live in Nairobi. That Sunday, my sister Veronica Mwangi called and told me what had transpired. I asked her to inform my elder brother John Njogu, who lives in Rongai. He accompanied the people who discovered their bodies,” Mr Mbugua said.
A post-mortem conducted on Tuesday revealed that the couple died from severe head injuries inflicted by a blunt object.
Mr Kihiti’s hands and shoulder had fractures, indicating a violent struggle.
Detectives have not established the motive and the family says nothing appears to have been stolen from the house apart from their mobile phones, which are still missing.
“We are in complete darkness. We do not know who did this or why. Our father was a peaceful man. If something troubled him, he would talk. If he had a conflict with anyone, we would have known. He was a strong man despite his age; he still tended his farm and rode his motorcycle. He had no employees. He did everything by himself,” said Mr Mbugua.
David Mwaura, the son-in-law of slain pastor Joseph Kihiti, speaks in Salgaa.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
He said that the pastor had recently turned 90 and the family was planning to celebrate this milestone later this month.
“We met on October 20 during Mashujaa Day celebrations and together with other family members, including my four sisters, we wanted to plan his 90th birthday celebration,” he revealed.
“The entire time my father was happy, healthy and interacting freely. Nothing seemed wrong and he never expressed fears for his life.”
One concern the family recalls was that Mr Kihiti had mentioned someone had been stealing his chicken.
However, relatives doubt the theft could have escalated to the brutal killing of the couple.
Rongai Sub-county police officers and homicide detectives camped at the homestead on Sunday and the better part of Monday, collecting evidence.
The family has been permitted to begin funeral arrangements as investigators continue to piece together leads that could reveal the couple’s killers.
“We do not want to believe that a petty thief would kill both of them. We believe the government will unravel what happened. We just want justice. He was our only remaining parent. Authorities say investigations are ongoing and the motive remains unclear. We have grown knowing him as a pastor,” Mr Mbugua said.
Another family member, David Karanja, said that he was in a harambee in the neighbourhood, when he received a distressing phone call from his wife following the discovery of the two bodies.
“We suspect that they were killed on Friday; their bodies had started decomposing. He had complained that two weeks ago his chicken had been stolen and he even bought others, but they too were stolen. Since they moved here in the 1980s, we have never heard if they have any land issues; we do not know what really happened,” Mr Karanja said.
According to Rongai sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, Donnata Otieno, detectives are trying to trace who the duo communicated with last before they met their death.
“We are yet to establish the motive of the murder… We have launched investigations into the incident and we will seek the help of telecommunications companies to help trace their mobile phones and their last interactions,” she said.
