Police in Thika East, Kiambu county have arrested one suspect in connection with the brutal killings of three women.
The decomposing bodies of Penina Wairimu, 87, her daughter Pauline Njeri, 50, and their house help were discovered by villagers in their home in Matathia village, Maguguni in Ngoliba ward.
It is suspected that the three were attacked and killed by unknown people on Friday night last week, and the motive behind the heinous act is yet to be established.
Thika East Subcounty Police Commander Andrew Sora told journalists that detectives are working round the clock to unravel the mysterious killings and bring all suspects involved to book.
“This may have happened about two to three days before as the bodies are already decomposing. We have begun our investigations and are optimistic that we will have the suspects arrested for prosecution. It’s very unfortunate,” Sora said.
The police boss said the suspect in custody will help the sleuths in the investigations.
He also noted that two knives suspected to have been used to commit the crime were recovered outside the victims’ house, adding that they will be subjected to forensic examination as the investigations pick pace.
The bodies of Wairimu and her daughter Njeri were found inside their house, while the decomposing body of their house help, who had been beheaded, was discovered buried in a shallow grave in the farm a few metres from the house.
Matathia residents led by Kahoro Mbogo told journalists on Wednesday that the three went missing on Saturday, and their phones were going unanswered.
“They have been buying milk from my farm and I have not seen them since Saturday. Again I called the daughter over payment of some building bricks I had sold them but her phone went unanswered,” Mbogo said.
Mbogo noted that the victims’ disappearance prompted a search. He said that upon breaking into the deceased's homestead they were met with swarms of flies at house's door and windows.
“This confirmed the worst since there was a foul odour emanating from the house. We were forced to break into the house where we found the bodies of lying in a pool of blood. It’s an incident that has shocked the entire village,” Mbogo said.
Villagers said the family was a peaceful one and they only settled in the village about three years ago.
The family is reported to have disposed off a property in Ruiru raising suspicions that the attackers might have been after money.
The locals called on the area security apparatus to beef up security in the area including intensifying night patrols, noting that cases of insecurity including livestock theft, have been on the rise in the recent months.
“Cases of house break-ins and livestock theft are increasing and the worst has started happening—killing of innocent villagers. We are calling on the authorities to speed up investigations and apprehend the culprits and also beef up security in this region,” said resident Josephat Maina.
The bodies of the three were taken to General Kago Funeral Home in Thika awaiting post-mortem.