Suspect linked to murder of women, children in Nyandarua arrested
Police in Nyandarua West have arrested a 33-year-old man linked to a series of murders targeting women and children in the area.
Investigators said the suspect, who has been on the run since last year, has confessed to participating in two murders incidents that left three people dead.
According to Nyandarua West Sub-County Police Commander (SCPC) Wanyama Nyongesa, after he was arrested in Naivasha town, the suspect admitted to have killed his neighbour Alice Wanjiru, 23, on March 25, last year by hacking her with a machete at their Gatumbiro village in Ol Joro Orok constituency.
“In his own words, the man who had gone into hiding since April last year has confessed to have killed the victim by hacking her using a machete,” said Mr Nyongesa.
The police boss said the suspect accessed the house where the victim was sleeping by digging a tunnel through the wall. He raped her before hacking her to death.
Brutally murdered
In his written statements to the police seen by the Nation the suspect also confessed to the brutal murder of Eunice Muthoni Ndung’u and her five-year-old daughter Linet Njeri.
The two were brutally murdered on the night April 23, last year in their Chekaleri village, Ol Joro Orok.
“I accessed the house where the two and other children were sleeping by digging a tunnel through the wall of their house…... I attacked them with a panga…...” read the suspect’s statements to the police.
The 30-year-old woman and her daughter, who was a grade one pupil, succumbed to head injuries inflicted by the suspect while undergoing treatment at the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital.
Police data indicates that ten women and a child were murdered in the area in a span of six months in 2020.
“He has only confessed to the two incidents but we are investigating possibilities of the suspect having been involved in the other murders since they were executed using the same script and style,” said the police boss.
Detectives in the area had arrested one Jassan Kariuki Theuri in June, last year in connection with a series of murders of women and children in Nyandarua and Laikipia counties between December 2018 and June 2020.
Robbery with violence
Theuri was, however, charged before a Nyahururu court with two counts of robbery with violence and attempted rape, after detectives failed to connect him with murder incidences.
He was however released unconditionally by the court on February 22, this year citing lack of evidence.
The SCPC has however said, “After his confession, we are certain that Ngige was behind the two murder incidents. He has led detectives to the scenes where he committed the murders.”
He said the suspect will be taken to court to face murder charges.
Months after the murder of Ms Muthoni and her daughter, a 57-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter escaped death after assailant (s) dug a hole at the base of their house at Kwa Major Village in Weru, Ol Joro Orok, and entered the bedroom.
They suffered knife injuries on the head but were saved by villagers who responded to their screams.
