Three murders, one month, one ward

An air of fear has descended upon the quiet Menengai ward in Rongai sub county after three bodies were discovered in only one month.

More chilling is that the victims are all women, and their bodies were found in maize plantations, not too far from each other.

It is the murder of the three; Mueni Mwalimu, 34, Vera Mugambi, 31 and Alice Ayuma Blessing, 5, that has now raised suspicion of a serial killer on the loose.  

The first body to be found was that of Alice Ayuma, who was murdered and her body dumped in a maize plantation. This incident took place in Rugongo Village within Menengai West Ward.

Three weeks later, Ms. Mueni Mwalimu’s body was found dumped in yet another maize plantation.

Mueni who was a personal banker working with Cooperative Bank Nakuru Branch was last seen on August 6, when she left work to attend to a family emergency.

This was the last time she was seen alive.

When her body was found on Wednesday afternoon it was badly mutilated. According to the autopsy report, she underwent a very painful experience having her ear and thumbs chopped off while she was still alive.

Additionally, her arms had been dislocated.

According to Rongai sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigation Donnata Otieno, the scene remained undisturbed indicating that she must have been killed elsewhere and the body dumped there.

The following day on, August 8, Vera Mugambi’s body was found near Baraka Estate in a maize plantation as well.

A horrific scene similar to that of Ms. Mueni. Her body had a deep head injury with multiple stab wounds on the body.

Vera met her unfortunate end a few meters from her home where she lived with her husband, Elisha Otieno and two children.

Her family says she had been out the whole day on Wednesday, August 7, carrying out her work of selling meals to casual labourers. Later at around 5 pm she went to collect her payment from the construction site.

However, she never made it back home.

Following these gruesome murders, the area Member of County Assembly (MCA) Menengai West Isaac Rottok in a communique urged his constituents to report any suspicious activity or unfamiliar individuals in their villages to the authorities.

At the same time, Adams Amutavi, the Chairperson Baraka Estate says that in light of the recent murders, the community held a baraza on Sunday August 11, with different security organs in the county to chart a way forward.

“One of the issues discussed was the maize plantations where these criminals use to hide. It was decided that we would do away with the maize. It was also agreed that the residents must collaborate with the police during these investigations,” he says.