They had only just met. By the end of the night, one of them was dead and the other had become the prime suspect in a chilling murder investigation.
On Sunday, March 29, 2026, Sheila Chebet alias Shammlee, a first-year student at the Kenya Medical Training College in Nyeri, was found naked, her clothes torn and her body abandoned near a coffee plantation in the Rafina area of Karatina town, about 27 kilometres from her college.
Police say Sheila had travelled to Karatina the previous day to meet her boyfriend Vincent Kibet, a fourth-year student at Karatina University.
Sheila Chebet, a 22-year-old Kenya Medical Training College student in Nyeri town who was found dead on March 29, 2026 at Rafina area in Karatina town.
Photo credit: Pool
According to Vincent’s friend Edwin Kamau, the day had started ordinarily. Vincent had called him around noon on March 28 asking to meet and introduce his new girlfriend. Edwin declined at first, saying he was busy but agreed to link up later in the evening.
That night, Edwin went to an entertainment joint in Karatina with his girlfriend and found Vincent and Sheila there.
Preliminary reports show that shortly after arriving, he left the trio briefly to run an errand. When he returned, Vincent approached him in the washrooms and asked for money to buy more drinks saying he wanted the girls to get drunk. But Edwin says he declined as he had already spent his money.
As the night wore on, Vincent asked Edwin to help him find a place to spend the night with Sheila. Edwin offered his bedsitter in Rafina, about two kilometres away. The four left for the house at around 6:40pm.
Once there, Edwin and his girlfriend stepped out to buy supper leaving the couple alone. When they returned at about 9pm, both Vincent and Sheila were gone.
“I also tried reaching him but he was not picking up my calls and when he finally did, he said that they had been attacked, but that he managed to escape, leaving Sheila behind. He said that he did not know where he was although he shared a live location which showed that he was approximately two kilometres away from my house,” he says.
Police say Vincent returned to his hostel in the Gitunduti area that night. An Occurrence Book (OB) Report at the Karatina Police Station shows that he reported the incident at 8 am, and three hours later, locals discovered Sheila’s naked body near a plantation in Rafina.
According to the Mathira East Sub-County Police Commander, Samson Leweri, Vincent was found in possession of Sheila’s mobile phone and was the last person seen with her. He has since been taken into custody.
Neighbours in Rafina told police they heard the couple quarrelling loudly that night. Sheila was reportedly accusing Vincent of pretending to have money.
At some point, Vincent stormed out, and Sheila followed in tears. Witnesses say she even attempted to hire a boda boda to return to town, but the fare was too high.
CCTV footage from a nearby school captured the pair walking along a path with Vincent leading the way, which is the last known image of Sheila alive.
Back in Nyeri, Sheila’s friends were unaware of the unfolding tragedy. Isaac Odhiambo, a fellow student, says they had plans that weekend, but she stopped answering calls.
“A common friend of ours also told me that she was not picking calls,” Odhiambo said.
Unknown to them, the 22-year-old mortuary science student had travelled to meet Vincent.
On Tuesday, Vincent was presented before the Karatina Law Courts, where police were granted 14 days to detain him as investigations continue.
According to Mr Leweri, preliminary findings suggest Sheila was strangled to death.
