Couple to remain in police custody pending investigation into gruesome murder of Bahati woman
Esther Njoki and Benard Ngugi who are linked to the murder of a woman in Bahati when they appeared before Senior resident magistrate Emanuel Soita on December 30, 2024.
A man and a woman linked to the gruesome murder of a woman in Bahati will be remanded in police custody for 21 days to allow police to complete investigations.
Senior Resident Magistrate Emanuel Soita ordered that Benard Ngugi be detained at Kiugoini Police Station while his girlfriend Esther Njoki be held at Nakuru Central Police Station for the period.
The two are said to be lovers and are suspected to be behind the brutal murder of Tabitha Wambui whose dismembered body was found in a gunny bag at a house in Ngomongo village in Bahati on Christmas Day.
The body was discovered by Mr Ngugi's employer who had gone to his servant's quarters to collect gate keys and found a dead human body in a gunny bag.
According to police, Julianna Waihuni (the employer) knocked on the door without getting any response before she decided to push open the door at around 9pm.
She was shocked to see blood oozing from a gunny bag on the floor. She reported the matter to the police at the Workers' Police Patrol base, who came and opened the gunny bag.
Police discovered Ms Wambui's mutilated body, which was badly damaged with gouged out eyes, mutilated genitals and severed breasts.
Mr Ngugi was arrested at Tumaini trading center in Nyandarua where he had gone into hiding with his lover on December 27.
According to the police, Ms Njoki, who traveled from Tumaini to Ngomongo area on the said date, was seen with the deceased in the morning hours.
It is claimed that she joined Ms Wambui at a club in Mawanga where they consumed alcoholic drinks before leaving at about 12:30pm.
Police further allege that Njoki was seen with Ngugi in the area before the incident.
"Preliminary investigations have identified Ngugi as the prime suspect. He was arrested on December 27 at Tumaini Trading Center in Nyandarua," said Corporal Vincent Langat, who is investigating the case.
The 21 days will help the police complete the investigation, conduct forensic analysis on the cell phones and analyze exhibits collected from the crime scene.
"The police also need to recover the missing body parts of the deceased; eyeballs, mutilated genitals and conduct DNA tests," he said.
The case will be heard on January 16.