Man, lover detained for 21 days in murder probe

Benard Ngugi and his lover Esther Njoki when they appeared in Nakuru Law Courts before Senior Resident Magistrate Emmanuel Soita on December 30, 2024. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

A man and his lover, suspected to have allegedly murdered and hid the body of Tabitha Wambui on Christmas day, have been detained for 21 days.

Senior Resident Magistrate Emmanuel Soita ordered Benard Ngugi to be deatined at Kiugoine Police Station while his lover Esther Njoki at Nakuru Police Station.

Corporal Vincent Langat said the lovers are being investigated for the murder which occurred at 8pm on December 25, 2024.

“The deceased’s mutilated body was found inside a gunny bag in Ngugi’s kitchen in Ngomongo village Mawanga, Nakuru County,” claimed Langat.

He told the court that the body had injuries on the head and breasts, while private parts had been chopped and eyes gouged out.

“Preliminary investigations identified Ngugi as the main suspect. He was arrested on December 27 at Tumaini Trading Centre in Nyandarua,” he said.

Langat said Njoki was arrested on December 25, 2024 at Gathadia, Tumaini in Nyandarua after investigations revealed that she was allegedly at the scene of crime on the material day.

He said witnesses allegedly saw the two together at around 7pm.

Langat told court that Wambui went to Bazz Bar in Ngomongo at 9am, where she did cleaning and later joined Ngugi, for a drink.

“They left the bar together at 12.45pm,” he said.

Langat said that at 9pm, Juliana Waihuini, Ngugi’s employer, went to his house to pick the keys to the gate but when she opened the kitchen door, she allegedly noticed blood on the floor oozing from a gunny bag.

He said they discovered with the neighbours that the bag had a mutilated body and reported the matter.

Langat asked the court for 21 days to conclude investigations, do forensic analysis on the suspects mobile phones and analyse exhibits collected from the scene.

“The police also need to recover the deceased's missing body parts; eye balls, mutilated genitals and conduct DNA tests,” he said.

Further he wants to conduct psychiatric examination on the suspects before arraignment and arrest other suspects.

Langat said the matter has attracted public interest amidst rising femicide cases in the country and the lovers’ lives may be in danger if they are released.

The case will be mentioned on January 16, 2025.