A court granted Wednesday the police 21 days to detain a man found with his wife’s dismembered body to enable them conduct further investigations.
The police had petitioned the court through a miscellaneous application to grant them 21 days to detain John Kyama Wambua at Ruaraka Police Station as they investigate the brutal murder of his wife, Joy Fridah Munani.
According to Corporal Kassim Yakub of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Starehe, Wambua is suspected of murdering his wife on January 20, 2025, at their home in the Kasanova area of Huruma.
Police claim that during routine patrols, officers spotted Wambua carrying a suspicious bag near the Huruma Police Station.
Upon searching the bag, officers discovered human body parts, specifically a thoracic section, concealed in a nylon cement carrier.
When interrogated, Wambua reportedly confessed that the remains belonged to his wife and led police to his residence.
There, additional body parts were recovered from beneath his bed.
He is alleged to have admitted that the murder occurred following an argument after he found his wife in the company of another man.
“The respondent alleged that he found his wife named Joy Fridah Munani (deceased) with another man and when they got to the house an argument ensued that led to him commit the act and later chopped the body in order to dispose it,” read the court documents.
Kassim told senior principal magistrate Gilbert Shikwe that one of the suspected murder weapons, a panga, has since been recovered.
However, he says other body parts remain missing, and further investigations are required to piece together the full details of the crime.
Kassim told the court that the police are yet to conduct a postmortem examination, DNA testing to confirm the deceased’s identity, a mental health assessment of the suspect, and the recording of statements from key prosecution witnesses.
He alleged that, Wambua is a flight risk and could interfere with ongoing investigations if released.
Kassim further said the suspect’s safety might be at risk due to the high-profile nature of the case, which has attracted public attention.
“I pray this honourable court to grant me with an order to detain the respondent at Ruaraka police station for twenty one (21) working days to enable me to conclusively investigate this matter,” read the court documents.
The magistrate allowed the police to detain the suspect as they investigate the murder.
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