In the past few years, a number of young Kenyan women have lost their lives under troubling circumstances, some in the name of love, others for reasons that remain unclear.
From Ivy Wangechi to Sharon Otieno and Starlet Wahu, Kenya faced an alarming rise in cases of women being killed by their love partners or ex lovers, over a period of time, with many describing it as a femicide epidemic.
Times Digital Kenya highlights five women whose lives were cut short, raising questions, some of which remain unanswered to date.
Ivy Wangechi
On 9 April 2019, Ivy Wangechi, a sixth-year medical student at Moi University at the time, was found outside Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Her death quickly raised questions about how she ended up in such a state, with Naftali Kinuthia being linked to the incident. Kinuthia attacked Wangechi with an axe, leading to her death almost instantly, just a day before her 25th birthday.
It was later learned that Kinuthia was her ex-boyfriend and allegedly took Wangechi’s life after she reportedly rejected him.
In December 2023, barely four years after the incident, Kinuthia, an IT expert, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of taking Wangechi’s life.
Starlet Wahu
Socialite Starlet Wahu, the younger sister of Prophet Victor Kanyari, was killed on January 3, 2024, in South B, Nairobi, inside an Airbnb.
Her body was discovered on the morning of January 4, with John Matara linked to her murder as the prime suspect.
She died from excessive bleeding caused by a stab wound. Just three days later, Wahu was buried at her family home in Kamulu, Machakos County.
Mercy Keino
Mercy Keino, a University of Nairobi student, had her body found dumped along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi, on June 17, 2011.
Questions arose after it was discovered that the incident occurred following the young lady’s night at a party at Wasini Luxury Suites in Westlands, hosted by William Kabogo, who was the Juja MP at the time.
As such, questions were raised about whether Kabogo and Keino had fallen out before her untimely death.
Later, findings from the autopsy could not ascertain whether Mercy Keino was killed elsewhere and her body dumped on the highway, or if she had been hit by a vehicle.
Sharon Otieno
It was on the night of September 3, 2018, when Sharon Otieno, a second-year Medical Records and Information student at Rongo University, lost her life. Prior to this, she had been abducted alongside a journalist, and her body was found the following morning in Kodera Forest, Homa Bay County.
According to police investigations, Sharon was brutally attacked with a knife, and even her unborn child suffered stab wounds that likely caused its death.
George Kinoti, who was the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the time, stated that the 7-month-old fetus in Sharon’s womb may have been the key target of the murder.
Following her mysterious death, former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and two others were charged in connection with the murder.
Monica Nyawira Kimani
In September 2018, 29-year-old Monica Kimani was found dead in a bathtub at Luciane Apartments, Kilimani.
Her body was discovered by her brother and girlfriend after they failed to reach her by phone.
Joseph Irungu, also known as “Jowie,” was the prime suspect, having been engaged to Monica Kimani. Jowie was identified by several witnesses as the last person to see Kimani in her apartment, though he denied the claims.
On March 13, 2024, Irungu was sentenced to death by the High Court of Kenya for the murder of the young businesswoman.
