Matara left crime scene in blood stained clothes, court told

A man accused of murdering a woman in a short stay house in South B, Nairobi was seen leaving the apartment with blood-stained clothing.
He was later seen seeking medical treatment for stab wounds at Mbagathi hospital, Nairobi court was told.

John Matara, the accused, had checked into the Papino Apartments on January 3, 2024, after booking the unit through an agent.

High Court judge Alexander Muteti heard that Matara was alone when he arrived at the apartment, where the deceased, Starlet Wahu was later discovered in a pool of blood.

According to Charity Muthoni Ndungu a bed and breakfast host, Matara had booked an a room at Papino Apartments for a one night stay on January 3, 2024.

The booking was facilitated by her cousin and fellow host, Jane Wairimu.

Matara, who insisted on securing an apartment with a balcony, was satisfied with the unit provided by Florence Ngina, another Airbnb host.

Muthoni said that after sharing photos of the apartment, Matara confirmed his satisfaction and later arrived at 5:50 p.m.

“The client, a man found us inside the house, he said he was the one who had booked the house, we left after we told him where the keys and padlock were,” said Muthoni.

She further said that Matara paid for the booking in cash.
“Jane told me the client wanted to pay in cash, so she sent a cleaning lady named Muthoni to collect the money. The client handed over Sh3,000 for a one-night stay,” she said.

“I took the money, sent Sh2,500 to Florence for the house, and paid Jane Sh500 as her commission.”

However, at around 9 p.m, Joseph Ndungu, a security guard at a neighboring apartment complex, saw a man leaving Papino Apartments.

The man, he told the court, was dressed in a blue T-shirt, khaki trousers stained with blood, a white towel draped around his neck and a black cap.

Ndungu said he alerted Papino’s security guard, Gitau, and the two reviewed CCTV footage, which revealed the man had exited from the fourth floor.

“I immediately informed Papino’s security guard, Gitau, and we checked CCTV footage, which showed the man coming from the fourth floor,” said Ndungu.

Ndungu said they followed a trail of blood to door Y32 but did not enter.

“We called the apartment owner, who later arrived. When they opened the door, they found a woman lying motionless on the floor. I left immediately, it was too much to look at,” the court was told.

According to Muthoni, she received a disturbing call from Ngina at around 10:40pm.

“She told me that security had reported the man we had given the house was seen leaving with blood-soaked towels,” Muthoni testified.

Muthoni said they rushed to the apartment and found a gruesome scene.

“The lift had a lot of blood,” she said. “The trail led directly to the unit we had rented out. The door was open and inside, I saw a naked woman on her knees, head bent to the floor, surrounded by blood.”

Muthoni told judge Muteti that they rushed to Hazina police station to report the incident.

Anthony Wafula, a welding instructor at Mukuria promotional centre, said that he was unknowingly drawn into the case.

He told the court that on the night of January 3, he received a call from his colleague Deborah Kemunto, asking him to check on Matara at South B Hospital.

“I received a call from Deborah who told me to go to South B hospital to check on John. She requested because I stay in South B near the hospital and she was far, ” said Wafula.

When he arrived, he said, he introduced himself at the hospital gate and was led to where Matara was receiving treatment.

“It was the first time I was seeing him,” Wafula said.

“He was lying on the bed with stab wounds on his hand and leg. The doctors said they couldn’t treat him there and needed to refer him to Mbagathi Hospital.”

Wafula said he helped Matara, along with a motorbike rider, to get to Mbagathi, where he was admitted to the emergency room.

“At the time, I had no idea he was a murder suspect,” Wafula said.

“I only found out when police officers arrived at the hospital and disclosed they were investigating a murder.”

Matara and Wafula were both taken to Industrial Area Police Station, where Wafula said he was held for three days before being released on January 5 after investigations.

Matara, the accused, has been charged with the murder of Wahu Mwangi, also known as Starlet Wahu, a popular figure in the entertainment industry.

Her body was found at an apartment in the South B area of Nairobi.

Matara was formally charged with her murder on February 2, 2024, a charge he denies, and the court denied him bond.

The case is scheduled to continue on July 28 and 30, 2025.