Short-stay house in murder of socialite Starlet Wahu died was not licensed

The trial into the murder of socialite Starlet Wahu has heard that the suspect was admitted into a short-stay house without identification, receipt, or documentation.

Appearing before Justice Alexander Muteti, a witness, Florence Ngina, admitted that she failed to follow basic guest verification requirements when she checked in the main suspect, John Matara, on the evening of January 3, 2024.

Ngina told the court that she was operating an Airbnb-style rental at Papino Apartments in South B despite lacking the necessary licensing or registration.

She further acknowledged that she did not issue a receipt or record the guest’s identification details at the time of check-in.

In her testimony, Ngina said the booking was facilitated by another operator, identified as Jane, who referred the client to her for a commission of Sh500.

She explained that she received the male guest shortly before 7:00 p.m., noting that he was alone and not previously known to her.

“I confirmed the house was clean and handed it over to him,” Ngina told the court, adding that she then left the premises without conducting any formal registration process.

The court heard that at about 11:00 pm, Ngina received a phone call from a security guard at the apartment who reported that the same client had exited the unit abruptly while bleeding and wrapped in a towel.

Ngina said she immediately returned to the premises together with two associates.

On arrival, they found the apartment door locked.

Acting on her instructions, the guard used a spare key to open the unit before police arrived.

Inside, they discovered the body of a woman lying in the living room in a pool of blood.

“We saw a body lying down,” Ngina testified, prompting them to report the matter at the nearest police station.
Officers later confirmed that the deceased was a female.

The court was further told that efforts to trace the suspect led to a hospital in South B, where he had initially been taken before being transferred to Mbagathi for further treatment.

During cross-examination, Ngina conceded that although she managed the unit, she had no documentation to prove ownership, clarifying that she was a tenant subletting the apartment.

She also admitted she did not review any CCTV footage from the premises and could not recall whether the suspect carried any items, apart from noting that he wore a cap at the time of arrival.

Wahu, who is the sister of controversial preacher Victor Kanyari, was found murdered at the South B-based short-stay facility.

John Matara remains the prime suspect in the case, with the prosecution alleging that he fatally attacked her while they were in the apartment.

The trial is now nearing conclusion, with the final witness expected to testify on April 30, 2026.