Police in Nakuru have arrested the husband of an M-Pesa attendant who was found dead after mysteriously disappearing in Nakuru County.
Ms Hannah Waithera’s decomposing body was discovered dumped at Technology Farm in Nakuru West Sub-County after she went missing from her workplace on Kenyatta Avenue in Nakuru Town on May 21.
According to Nakuru East Sub-County Police Commander, Samson Adanje, Hannah’s husband, Zachariah Wanjohi, was arrested on Monday by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to assist with investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Mr Adanje said the suspect is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday with police seeking to detain him further to allow completion of their investigations.
“So far, he is cooperating and helping us with the investigation,” Mr Adanje said.
Mr Wanjohi’s sister, Esther Wambui, told the Nation on Tuesday that her brother was called by detectives while in the company of his mother-in-law, Mary Njeri, and Waithera’s aunt to record statements.
Hannah Waithera, a 23-year-old M-Pesa attendant, disappeared on May 21 after being sent to deposit Sh250,000 in a bank in Nakuru
However, he was detained and later arrested.
“We do not understand what led to his arrest. We were informed that he would be presented in court on Tuesday. The record on the Occurrence Book at the Nakuru Central Police Station is labeled simply as ‘Murder’,” she said in a phone interview.
The disappearance of Ms Waithera had caused alarm among her friends and family, who had launched a search after she failed to return from a routine trip to deposit business funds.
Her employer reported her missing shortly after her phone was found switched off and attempts to trace her proved unsuccessful.
Residents of Nakuru have expressed shock and concern over the incident, with calls for increased security measures, especially for workers handling cash transactions.
A sad and shocked Mary Njeri, mother to Hannah Waithera, an M-Pesa attendant who went missing on Wednesday last week. They are accusing DCIO officers of mistreating and refusing to help in the search for her missing daughter.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
The tragic case has renewed public concern about the safety of young women working in urban centres.
Ms Waithera’s family is now seeking justice for their daughter, describing her as hardworking, kind, and full of dreams.
“She was our hope. We want those responsible to be held accountable,” her mother said.
Police say investigations are ongoing and have urged anyone with additional information regarding the murder to report it to them.
