Woman found murdered in Kirinyaga as boyfriend torches house in suspected cover-up
FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE
Police in Kirinyaga County launched a manhunt for a suspect believed to be behind the brutal murder of a 28-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a thicket in Mwea East Sub-County.
The lifeless body of Betty Wanjiru Nyaga was found on Wednesday morning at Mugumoini Village in Nyangati Location.
Police visited the scene and established that the victim had suffered multiple injuries. Authorities observed visible wounds on the head, thighs and legs, as well as bruises on the face.
Investigators believe the location where the body was discovered may have been a secondary crime scene as there were no signs of struggle or blood at the site.
The body was processed and later moved to Kibugi Funeral Home for preservation pending a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
In a related development, police reported that the victim’s boyfriend allegedly set his house on fire shortly after the incident.
Police who visited the residence found the four-roomed house, constructed of mud and bricks, completely destroyed by the blaze. Nothing was salvaged from the building.
Police suspect the house may have been the primary crime scene where the murder took place, and that the fire could have been an attempt to destroy evidence.
The scene was documented by investigators as detectives intensified efforts to trace and arrest the suspect.
Police say the motive of the incident was not established.
Elsewhere, police in Maili Saba, Trans Nzoia County arrested a woman after a man who had earlier been assaulted succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
The victim, identified as Geofrey Nyakundi alias Osoro, had previously been assaulted by a woman on February 6, 2026.
Police said Nyakundi had been receiving treatment at the Trans Nzoia County Referral Hospital following the assault. However, he succumbed to the injuries on March 8, 2026 while still under medical care.
His body was moved to the hospital morgue where it is awaiting a postmortem examination to establish the exact cause of death.