Margaret Wambui, 65, who was murdered at her home in Salgaa, Rongai, Nakuru County. Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Detectives in Nakuru’s Salgaa area are burning the midnight oil as they hunt for the killers of three elderly people, who have been murdered within a period of two weeks.
The mysterious murders targeting elderly people have shocked residents, who now want the police to arrest the killers to prevent similar incidents.
Barely a week after an elderly couple was brutally murdered in their home in Muthera Village, police are yet again investigating the murder of a granny whose body was discovered inside her house over the weekend.
The victim, Margaret Wambui, 65, a member of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Women’s Guild, was found dead in her house with visible injuries on her head on Friday last week.
According to her daughter, Rahab Wanjiru, on the fateful day, she tried calling her mother, but her phone had been switched off.
Ms Wanjiru, a resident of Bluegem area within Salgaa, told the Nation that as she was still waiting for her mother’s call, she received distressing information from her aunt that her mother had been killed.
“My aunt, who was accompanied by a Nyumba Kumi official, told me that I was needed at the Salgaa Police Station, but before we could leave, they broke the news. She told me that my mother had been killed and that I was needed before the body could be moved to the mortuary,” Ms Wanjiru said.
“We have not been told anything so far. Detectives came to our home last week for their investigations and left. We are still waiting. A blood-stained log believed to be the murder weapon was recovered on the day the body was moved to the mortuary,” she added.
Severe head injury
According to Ms Wanjiru, a post-mortem conducted on her mother’s remains revealed that she died due to a severe head injury.
The pathologist also noted that the skull was badly damaged and her right hand was broken three times, signalling a struggle with her assailants as she tried to defend herself.
She further said that on the fateful day, her mother’s employee knocked on her door, but there was no response.
He thought she had gone to buy milk.
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.
After failing to get her, he became suspicious and informed Ms Wanjiru’s aunt, who went and pushed the door open, only to find her body lying on the floor in the living room.
According to Ms Wanjiru, before the assailant(s) left, they ransacked the house before stealing a gas cylinder, her mobile phone and gumboots.
“She lived alone in the house, but my other relatives live a few metres away. It is like they were looking for some documents. They stole the gumboots which my mother had bought three days before the incident. We have been left orphans. She was the only one who was there for us; my father passed on 30 years ago. We just want justice,” she said.
Wambui’s killing has sparked fear and outrage in a community still reeling from the earlier murder of an elderly couple at nearby Muthera Village.
The murder has raised fears of a serial killer on the loose.
Residents say the murders targeting older people in the area are shocking, and they now want heightened police patrols as detectives hunt for the killers.
Two weeks ago, the bodies of 90-year-old Joseph Ndegwa Kihiti, a pastor at a local church, and his wife Rose Wanjiku, 63, were found inside their house on 2 November at Rigogo Farm. The duo failed to appear in church, prompting villagers to launch a search that ended tragically.
A post-mortem conducted on their bodies last Tuesday revealed that the couple died from head injuries inflicted by a blunt object.
Violent struggle
Mr Kihiti’s hands and shoulder had also been fractured, indicating a violent struggle with his assailants.
Now, with this latest killing, locals are demanding swift action from the authorities to stop what they describe as a wave of “targeted murders” against the elderly.
Residents expressed frustrations over what they called a lack of visible security presence, even after the first murder that shocked many two weeks ago.
“This can’t be a coincidence. Whoever is behind these killings seems to have a pattern, attacking old people who live alone or in isolated homes. We are scared, especially our parents who stay by themselves. No one feels safe anymore,” said Peter Chege, a local boda boda rider.
Rongai Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Donnata Otieno said detectives have launched investigations to establish whether the murders are connected.
“We are piecing together information to help track down and arrest suspects behind the murders. I do not want to reveal much about the incidents since we have launched intense investigations. We want to establish the link between the murders. It could even be a serial killer on the loose. Soon we will zero in on the culprits and make arrests,” said Ms Otieno.
A senior detective involved in the investigations revealed that they are pursuing several leads to arrest those behind the murders.
“We are looking at those who interacted with the deceased persons before they met their death. We are tracing their communications. We are also following crucial leads, including reports of a hardcore criminal gang on the loose in the area. Soon we will arrest the perpetrators,” revealed the detective.
The murders have left residents shocked and in fear.
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