A quiet Thursday morning in Muthathia, Buuri West, Meru County, turned into a scene of horror after a 31-year-old woman was found brutally murdered moments after she reportedly left her room to use the toilet.
The deceased, identified as Charity Kinya, is believed to have been attacked at around 5am near Full Gospel Church as she walked towards the toilets within a rental compound where she had been living for about a month.
According to police, Kinya had woken up early and stepped outside her house, apparently intending to use the toilet. She, however, never made it there alive.
Her lifeless body was discovered lying face down near the gate leading to the toilets, prompting residents to alert the authorities.
Police officers who arrived at the scene found that Kinya had suffered deep injuries to her head and the right side of her hip. Preliminary investigations suggested that she may have been attacked with a sharp weapon, with detectives considering the possibility of a panga or sword being used.
The circumstances surrounding the killing have left residents with more questions than answers, particularly because the attack happened in the early hours when the victim was simply walking to the toilet.
Investigators are also examining a possible love triangle as one of the motives behind the killing, although police have stressed that investigations are still underway and no definitive motive has been established.
A black back cover believed to belong to a button phone was recovered at the scene and taken by investigators as part of the evidence that could help shed light on what happened.
Detectives photographed and processed the scene before Kinya’s body was removed and taken to the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a post-mortem examination.
Police have since launched a probe to reconstruct Kinya’s final moments, identify the person responsible and establish the motive behind the shocking killing.
For residents of Muthathia, the incident has cast a dark shadow over what began as an ordinary Thursday morning, as detectives race against time to unravel the circumstances behind the death of the young woman.
