Probe into death of six Nyeri children yields no suspects

Bodies of the two boys being put in body bags after they were retrieved from Sagana River. [Jacinta Mutura, Standard]

The police are yet to find out the people and the motives behind the murders and the relatives and other suspects they have interviewed cannot be charged in court because of lack of evidence.

When three-year-old Dylan Harrison Wachira and two-year-old Kian Georgeson Wachira left their home in Kangemi, Nyeri County, in the company of a relative on November 1, no one expected the worst to happen to them.

The relative, who had said that she was taking the children for a walk, is suspected of having a hand in their dissapearance.

They boarded a matatu towards Karatina town and were later spotted in Marua area at around 6pm.

Witnesses who have recorded statements said the relative, who took the children had a mental problem and had been discharged from hospital a few days prior, went to a stranger’s house to shelter from rain.

 

Prime suspect

Sources said they were given clothes to change into and left the home at 8pm, only for the suspect to appear the following day looking confused and without the children.

Sadly, on November 8, Kian’s and Dylan’s bodies were found by a fisherman floating — about 100 metres apart —in Sagana River at dawn.

John Gacheru, the acting Nyeri County Criminal Investigations Officer said the police were treating the relative as the prime suspect.

The two deaths are part of six mysterious killings of children reported in the last two months in Nyeri County.

The other cases are that of a Second Former who disappeared only for her body to be found at Kairuthi in Othaya, some 200 metres from her home.

The 16-year-old Second Former was reportedly going to visit her aunt but her body was later found in her grandmother’s farm.

The police have arrested the grandmother and three uncles who are linked to the death.

“The girl’s extended family have wrangles.

“The murder could have resulted from the disputes but we are interrogating the suspects to establish the circumstances under which the girl was killed,” Sarah Koki, the Othaya OCPD, said.

In yet another murder case, the police are piecing together information that could help them arrest those behind the murder of a four-year-old girl whose body was found in Chinga River in Othaya sub-County.

Sylvia Wanjiru was reported missing from her grandparents’ homestead in Kianwe village on October 31 and her body was discovered in River Chinga two weeks later

The body had three stab wounds in the stomach. The minor had also been sexually assaulted and the skull, ribs and limbs had fractures.

 

Plead for justice

The police are yet to arrest any suspects.

Detectives are also investigating the killings of a mother, her daughter and a niece on October 22.

Mercy Gathoni, 38, her 10-year-old daughter Claire Wanjira and and niece Faith Wanjiru, were killed inside Gathoni’s shop at Jambo area in Karatina. The three were strangled with ropes, with Gathoni and her daughter being tied to the bed

Gathoni’s niece, Wanjiru, became collateral damage after she went to call her aunt to attend to customers.

She was also strangled.

Over a month later, the killers are still at large as families plead for justice.

“We arrested two suspects linked to the killings of the three but we could not arraign them due to lack of evidence,” Gacheru said.

He said the police are conducting forensic analysis of Gathoni’s mobile phone to establish the identity of those she communicated with last.

Gacheru said the murders could be coincidental. He said they were interrogating suspects and following leads from close relatives.

“Some of the cases could be a result of family disputes ... we are trying to establish the real motives,” he said.

While these may be outright criminal cases, Mercy Joel, a psychologist, said social issues involving family disputes, relationships and depression could not be ruled out, especially considering that the victims are children.