Two army soldiers arrested in connection with the murder of a university student last month have confessed to the crime.
They were arrested in connection with the September 28 murder of 26-year-old Mercy Kwamboka Rufansi in Mwiki area, Kasarani.
Mercy was reported missing from her parents’ home in Pipeline, Embakasi, on September 28, 2024, hours after she left home in a huff.
Her half-naked body was found dumped in a thicket in Mwiki area along the Eastern bypass at around 4pm on September 28.
DCI director Mohamed Amin said Wednesday October 23 that the Kenya Defence Forces soldiers based in Embakasi, were the last known individuals to have been in contact with Mercy.
“The search for her turned into a heart-wrenching ordeal which culminated in the discovery of her lifeless body, partially undressed and bearing bruises on her thighs, lower back and left ankle,” Amin said.
Police found a black blouse, a blanket and a mobile phone beside her body.
The arrest of the suspects followed weeks of intense manhunt by detectives from Kasarani Sub-county.
Amin said that investigations established that on the night Mercy went missing, she was picked up in a Mazda vehicle by the main suspect who drove her to his house in Komarock.
“While at the parking lot, a misunderstanding ensued, leading to a confrontation in which the suspect assaulted Mercy, resulting in her death,” Amin said.
He said the suspect then called his accomplice to help him dispose of the body.
“Following forensic trails, detectives flushed the duo out of their hideouts in Komarock estate and Tononoka area in Embakasi, respectively,” Amin said.
The two have also been placed at the scene of the murder.
They confessed to police the woman died after falling following a confrontation.
A blanket used to wrap the body has also been linked to the soldiers.
Mercy was a student at the University of Nairobi and was in her second year at the Chiromo Campus.
A postmortem examination established that she had broken legs, bruises on her gum and burnt hands.
Her family said on the night she went missing, she received a phone call before leaving in a huff.
Witnesses described seeing a car at the scene where her body was found.
She was pursuing a Bachelor of Science, in chemistry, the family said. She was in her second year.
Police said they are investigating murder, rape, kidnap and robbery in the incident.
The family told police she was managing epilepsy.
Police planned to produce the two in court on Thursday and ask for more days to hold them as investigations go on.
They want to revisit the scene where she died and here body was dumped.
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