Caring neighbor and churchgoer unmasked as notorious carjacker and killer

He played the role of a 'caring neighbor,' offering a helping hand whenever there was a need. He attended a local church, where he discussed his strong Christian beliefs and personal testimonies.

But, Edwin Ngetich was instead a dangerous criminal, who staged daring carjackings and killed his victims, according to testimonies in court.

His neighbor Jesse Mwangi lifted the veil on Ngetich's double life when he testified before Nakuru High Court Judge, Justice Samwel Mohochi in a case where Ngetich is facing trial for the murder of George Njuguna, a taxi driver, on the night of July 29 and 30, 2024 at Soysambu Conservancy in Gilgil, Nakuru County.

According to the prosecution, Ngetich robbed Njuguna of a motor vehicle a model Toyota Noah.

Ngetich has been denied bond after prosecution linked him to multiple murders and robberies with violence cases of taxi drivers across the country committed between 2020 to 2024.

It is alleged that Ngetich, who is remanded at Kamiti Prison, would hire tax vehicles, kill the driver, steal the vehicle, and sell them to unsuspicious third parties.

Mwangi, a caretaker of an apartment where Ngetich lived with his wife and two children, told the judge that he was still grappling with the reality of the tenant's double life.

"He was friendly to all the neighbors. A religious man who never missed going to church with his family and paid his rent on time. Nothing was off about him. He was jovial, quoted the bible, and often gave personal testimonies, " Mwangi told the court.

He recalled on March 22, 2024, he left for church but on coming back, he discovered that the number plate on his car was missing.

"The car was parked inside the apartment compound. I reported the matter to a local police station. I never suspected Ngetich would be behind the theft," he said.

“Given that the car was inside our plot I was shocked, I reported the incident at a Police station but never had a suspect in mind,” he said.

Mwangi said the number plate was later recovered from Ngetich's house when DCI detectives raided the home and collected evidence. He confirmed to the detectives that the plates belonged to his car.

Before Ngetich's arrest, Mwangi had found him cleaning the seats of a Toyota Noah inside the apartment compound. The vehicle was stolen and the driver was killed.

"He told me that a customer had vomited inside the car and he was forced to clean the seat," he said.

Mwangi told the court that Ngetich used to drive a Toyota Voxxy but in August 2024, he came in a Toyota Noah.

It was his testimony that Ngetich had told him he changed the car due to customer demands.

“I recall one day I came and found him washing his Noah, he removed the seats then told me a customer had vomited in it, his rent accumulated, only to see him in cuffs while watching the news,” he said.

During opening remarks on Wednesday, the prosecution informed the court that the State would demonstrate how Ngetich lured George Njuguna, a taxi operator to his death.

“The taxi belongs to his (Njuguna's) mother, and the deceased has two children, we will be calling witnesses who will show, that the accused and the deceased knew each other, the others said he was going to Nairobi to bring missionaries and they had worked together,” the State noted

The prosecution noted that forensic evidence will be produced putting the accused at the crime scene.

Njuguna's mother, Jane Gachanja, testified that his son was living in Nairobi, but had visited her with his family at Migori.

He received a call from a friend allegedly a driver was contracted by a church to ferry missionaries from Nairobi to Migori but needed two vehicles.

“He left on July 29, 2024, at around 4 am, and he was paid Sh2,000 for fuel but upon reaching Kisii, he called requesting Sh1000 for fuel,” she said.

Shocked, she questioned her son why the alleged friend had failed to send him the money, she would later send him Sh500 as the son kept updating her.   

He later confirmed that they met with the alleged driver and were heading to Nairobi through the Naivasha route due to traffic.

At around 9 pm, the son confirmed he was inside his vehicle in Nairobi promising to call in the morning.

On July 30, his phone went off, and efforts to trace him commenced only to be called to identify a body on August 29, 2024, at Gilgil Morgue.

The postmortem on his son revealed he was hit with a blunt object on the head.

 In September she received a call that his vehicle was found, but the number plates were altered.

The hearing of the case will continue on April 2.