A five-day search for a missing high school teacher in Murang’a County ended in heartbreak after his decomposing body was discovered inside a locked rental house near Kenol town.
Timothy Njau, a 36-year-old teacher at Muruka Senior School, had disappeared on August 21, 2026, shortly after completing his duties at school and briefly visiting his family home.
When his phone was switched off and he could no longer be reached, his family grew increasingly worried and reported his disappearance to the authorities. What followed was an anxious search that ended with a discovery no family would wish to make.
On August 26, residents living near a recently occupied rental property became suspicious after noticing a foul smell coming from the locked house. They alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and forced their way inside.
There, officers found Njau’s body in an advanced state of decomposition.
Investigators established that the teacher had rented the house secretly on August 15, reportedly intending to use it to settle some personal affairs. He was believed to have died several days before his body was discovered.
But perhaps the most painful part of the tragedy for his family has been looking back at his final days.
According to relatives, Njau appeared unusually calm, affectionate and intentional in the days before his disappearance.
On August 16, he persuaded his family to attend Mass together—something that was reportedly uncommon in their normal routine.
The following day, August 17, he took his wife, Elizabeth Waweru, and their four children to Thika, where they spent time shopping and having lunch.
At the time, the family saw it as an ordinary day together. In hindsight, however, those moments have taken on a deeply painful meaning, with his loved ones wondering whether he was unknowingly creating what would become their final memories of him.
Speaking after the discovery of her husband’s body, Elizabeth confirmed that Njau had died by suicide. She expressed deep anguish that he had left behind no note explaining what had pushed him to take such a devastating step.
She also lamented the suspicion and rumours that she said had surrounded their marriage, saying she now had to cope not only with the loss of her husband but also with questions and speculation from members of the community.
The couple had reportedly experienced mounting marital and financial pressures in recent years.
After graduating in early 2023, Elizabeth secured a job in grassroots mobilisation to supplement the family’s income. She and Njau were both earning modest salaries through their respective occupations while supporting their four children.
However, her demanding work schedule reportedly became a source of tension in the marriage, with Njau questioning the circumstances surrounding her work and demanding reimbursement for money he had spent on her university education.
In December 2023, Elizabeth reportedly took a loan from a micro-lender and repaid the money in full.
Despite this, she said rumours questioning her character and accusing her of infidelity continued circulating in the community.
Elizabeth has strongly denied the allegations.
During her final visit to her husband’s body, she reportedly mourned the possibility that he may have taken his own life because of rumours that she insists were untrue.
The death has left relatives, friends, colleagues and members of the community grappling with unanswered questions about what happened inside the locked Kenol house.
Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding Njau’s death as the family prepares to lay to rest a man whose final days were marked by affection, silence and a series of gestures whose meaning they are only now beginning to understand.
