Athlete hacked to death in Kirinyaga, boyfriend arrested

Edith Muthoni, 27, was killed on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. [Lydia Nyawira, Standard]

Police in Kerugoya, Kirinyaga County have arrested a youthful man on suspicion of killing his girlfriend on Tuesday night, October 12.

Kennedy Nyamu allegedly hacked Edith Muthoni, 27, in the head at Kianjege East Village in Kerugoya following a domestic dispute.

Muthoni’s sister, Jane Nyawira King’uru, told The Standard that Nyamu allegedly attacked her sibling after she picked his phone to go through its contents.

“He [allegedly] whipped out a panga and cut my sister in the head,” said Nyawira.

Muthoni, a marathoner in local races, was taken to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital while in critical condition. She, however, died while receiving treatment.

The suspect, Nyamu, was arrested on Tuesday shortly after the incident.

“He led detectives to the location of murder,” said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a statement on Wednesday.

The lead administrator of Kerugoya Hospital, Norman Gitari, said Muthoni was brought to the facility by a Good Samaritan.

Muthoni’s sister, Jane Nyawira, has eulogised the deceased as a “calm girl, who spoke her mind when need arose”.

The late Muthoni worked as a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) community scout in Embu County.

According to Nyawira, her sibling’s passion for athletics was evident from a tender age.

“She has been passionate about long distance races since childhood,” she said, adding that Muthoni participated in locally-held marathons, including events in Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu.

“On Tuesday, while at work, I received a phone call from a relative that Muthoni had been taken to Kerugoya Hospital in critical condition. I rushed there, and was told she had been admitted to the emergency ward. Shortly after accessing the ward, I was informed by the nurses that she had died,” said Nyawira.

“She and her boyfriend had been together for three years. On the fateful evening, the two fought over Nyamu’s phone,” added Nyawira.

Muthoni’s father, Cyrus King’uru, has urged police to ensure solid investigations so that his daughter’s killer(s) can be brought to book.

“My child was not ailing, she was killed. I’m urging the Government to arrest and bring her killers to justice,” said King’uru.

The grieving father said Muthoni had mentioned to him in passing that she was in a relationship with a man based in Embu.

“I pray to God to give me strength and comfort as I mourn my second-born daughter,” he said.