Woman arrested after elderly partner’s body exhumed from beneath house floor in Nanyuki

Detectives in Nanyuki arrested a 28-year-old woman after the body of her 66-year-old partner was allegedly found buried beneath the floor of their house in a suspected murder case.

The deceased was identified as Jackson Mungai Kaburu, 66. Police said the two had been living together as a couple since June this year.

According to police, officers responded to a suspected murder incident at Nyakumu Village in Muramati Location, Laikipia East Sub-County, on Monday.

On arriving at the house, investigators noticed a raised section of the floor beneath the bed, raising suspicion that a body had been buried there.

Police subsequently obtained a court order to exhume the remains. Pathologists from Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, public health officers and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) personnel attended the scene.

The body of the deceased was exhumed and taken to the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased is suspected to have been killed on Friday, based on information allegedly provided by the suspect during investigations.

Police said the suspect led detectives to the burial site and to the recovery of items believed to have been used in the killing and concealment of the body.

Among the recovered exhibits were a panga allegedly buried in a manure heap outside the house and an iron bar recovered from a nearby thicket.

Investigators also recovered two spades and a fork jembe from the house, which are believed to have been used to conceal the body.

The suspect remains in custody at Nanyuki Police Station and is expected to be arraigned in court as investigations continue.

Police said the motive for the suspected killing is yet to be established. Such murder incidents have been on the rise amid efforts to address them. Some suspects have been arrested while other cases remain unsolved, police said. Most cases are linked to money and love triangle.