Chilling murders and unresolved crimes that shocked the nation

The year 2020 was characterised by some gruesome murders and mysterious deaths that caught the nation’s attention. And as the year draws to an end, most of these killings are either still under police investigation or are still pending in court.

Pastor kills wife, stabs himself to death in church

The year began with a bizarre murder in Mombasa where a pastor butchered his wife at the pulpit of their church on January 5. The pastor, Elisha Misiko, was in the pulpit preaching when he suddenly walked towards his wife, Ann Mghoi, who was seated on the front row benches. He drew out a knife and stabbed her.

Misiko, 55, was the pastor of Ground for Gods Gospel ministries in Kisauni.
“He stood up and approached Anna as if he was handing over something to her. He drew a sharp knife and stabbed her,” a congregant said of the pastor who slit the wife’s throat before stabbing himself to death.

Pastor Misiko left a 17-page suicide note in which he accused his wife of betraying and disregarding him. He said he had planned to kill his wife on December 31, 2019, but police who were on patrol thwarted his plan.

AP officer attached to Ruto’s office found dead

On February 18, the country woke up to news of the mysterious death of a police officer attached to the office of Deputy President William Ruto.

Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei’s body was on February 18 found at his house in Nairobi’s Imara Daima with a gunshot wound to his chin.

It emerged that the officer was among the persons of interest that the DCI intended to question over a Sh39.5 billion fake arms deal that touched on the Office of the Deputy President.

Kenei, an AP officer, had been missing a few days prior to his body being discovered and was supposed to accompany his colleagues to the DCI to record a statement on the fake arms saga.

Initially, police believed Kenei had committed suicide, but DCI officers who later visited the house said he could have been killed.

The investigations would later take a political angle after DP William Ruto on March 6 accused the DCI of “peddling lies and engaging in a smear campaign” against his office in the investigations into the murder.

The matter is still under investigation.

Children’s bodies found in trunk of car at police station in Athi River

Then came July 2, when the bodies of two children who had been reported missing were found in the boot a parked car at Athi River Police Station.

Alvina Mutheu, 4, and Henry Jackone, 5, went missing from their home at KMC estate on June 11. The police had been searching for the missing children and their parents had visited hospitals and mortuaries.

A Nairobi salesman who had gone to the police station to pick his detained car informed the police that there was a foul smell from the boot of his Toyota Belta.

The vehicle had been lying at the station for more than three months after it was involved in an accident along Mombasa road on March 4. 

It is after he opened the boot of his car that he found a black paper bag.

Investigators are yet to establish how the children left their home and ended up in the car at the police station.

Woman blames the devil for killing four children

On June 27, residents of Naivasha woke up to an incident where a woman killed her four children aged between two and eight, through poisoning.

Beatrice Kimothoi would later confess that she killed her children and blamed evil spirits and a broken relationship. After spending two nights in police cells, Mwende, 42, said reality had hit her and she was yet to come to terms with her actions.

Speaking to journalist before she was arraigned in a Naivasha court, Mwende asked for mercy, saying she was possessed and did not know what she was doing.

The matter is pending in court.

Lawyer dies after attack by police woman

In October, Onesmus Masaku became yet another statistic of crime after he was injured in a machete attack at his home in Westlands estate in Wote, Makueni County. Masaku died days later in hospital.

His alleged attacker, a policewoman with whom he was said to be in a relationship with, was arraigned to face murder charges. The matter is still pending in court.

Video of woman tied and dragged behind motorcycle by police officers shocks nation

In June, three police officers and a civilian were arrested for allegedly torturing a 21-year-old woman along the streets of Olenguruone town, Nakuru County.

Inspector of Police David Kiprotich and police constables Henry Muregi and Tom Kikao were charged with torture before Nakuru Law Court Principal Magistrate Faith Munyi.

The four allegedly tortured Mercy Cherono by tying her onto a motorcycle and dragging her for more than 200 metres.

They were arrested after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

Cherono, a mother of one, survived the incident.

Woman, daughter and niece killed inside shop

In Nyeri, residents were left in shock after a 38-year-old woman, her daughter and a niece were killed in Karatina, Mathira County over a suspected love gone sour.

Mercy Gathoni and the two children were strangled with ropes. Their bodies were found inside Gathoni’s shop by her sister after calls to her phone went unanswered. Police are yet to arrest any suspects.

A policeman’s final act

Felix Yegon’s act of providing security to a man out to get his wife back from a rival would end tragically when he was killed by a mob in Homa Bay County.

The 22-year-old officer was killed at Kalwal village in May.  

[Kamore Maina, Jacinta Mutura, Harold Odhiambo, Weldon Kipkemoi, Daniel Chege]