Josiah Njeru Njiru, the suspect in the murder of Rachel Muthoni Wandeto, will remain at Kilimani police station for 10 days to allow police to conduct investigations.
Njiru, who appeared at Makadara Law Court on May 21st, 2026, was arrested after investigations established that he was the last person to contact the victim and shared her location on the same night, near her residence a place where he does not reside.
According to the investigating officer, Raphael Wanjohi, based at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters in Nairobi, from the Homicide Investigations Bureau, they are investigating the capital offense of murder following the brutal killing of Rachel Muthoni Wandeto, which occurred on May 18th, 2026, at Kenyatta National Hospital where she was undergoing treatment.
Court documents seen by kauntinews.com reveal that on the night of May 15th, 2026, at about 9:00 pm or thereabout, the deceased, Rachel Muthoni Wandeto who was residing within Mwiki town was lured out of her residence, attacked, and doused with a flammable liquid, causing severe burn injuries.
After the attack, the assailant left the scene, and the victim was later rescued and rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition.
On May 18th, at around 11:00 am, while still receiving treatment, Rachael succumbed to death from over 70 percent body burn injuries inflicted during the attack.
The matter was reported at Mwiki Police Station, and officers immediately responded to the scene, where they found the victim unconscious lying on the ground around 11th street near Obama Road.
She was rushed to Uzima Uhai Hospital for treatment and then transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital. The scene was documented. Investigation quickly commenced, and officers obtained CCTV footage showing only the victim leaving her residence.
During preliminary investigations, it was established that several CCTV cameras are yet to be retrieved. The police are working to identify and record statements from witnesses, some of whom may know or be unknown to the suspect.
The assailant went into hiding following this heinous act, leading to public outcry, and the matter was transferred to the Homicide Investigation Bureau.
The suspect was arrested after it was established that he was the last person to contact the victim and share her location on the same night near her residence despite not residing there.
Following his arrest, a search was conducted, and several items were recovered, including national identity cards, a mobile phone, clothes, and documents all of which are to undergo forensic analysis.
The officer stated that from the time of the suspect’s arrest, the investigation team found the time to conclude investigations inadequate. He therefore requested twenty-one (21) days to enable thorough investigation, while the suspect remains in custody.
He also noted that during preliminary investigations, several CCTV cameras are still to be retrieved, and statements from witnesses some of whom might fear for their safety need to be recorded. Due to the political implications of the case, the safety of the suspect cannot be fully guaranteed if he is not in custody.
Furthermore, analysis of call data records shows that the suspect has been frequenting the victim’s area over the past three months and has established a network of contacts, some of whom are witnesses who may fear retaliation if they are aware the suspect is not in custody.
The exhibits recovered during the arrest, as well as during the search, are to be forwarded to forensic experts for examination.
Additionally, more time is needed to trace and recover exhibits from the scene, identify witnesses, record their statements, and conduct an identification parade.
He stated that the investigation team is yet to recover further exhibits or obtain DNA samples from the suspect for comparison with evidence recovered from the scene. The suspect has also not yet undergone a mental health examination.
