She walked out of her home with a simple promise.
“Dad, I’m just going to town. I only need KSh 200 for transport. I’ll be back soon.”
Those were the last words 20-year-old Risper Faith ever spoke to her family.
What seemed like an ordinary Sunday in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, would soon turn into a nightmare that shattered the lives of everyone who loved her.
Risper was a young mother raising her eight-month-old baby after her relationship with the child’s father had broken down. She had returned to live with her father and grandmother, hoping to rebuild her life while caring for her infant. Despite the challenges she faced, her family describes her as responsible, respectful, and someone who would never disappear without informing them.
That afternoon, she called her father, who was at work, asking him to send her KSh 200 for transport to town. He did, believing his daughter would soon return home.
But evening came, and there was no sign of Risper.
Her phone had gone off. Every call went unanswered. Anxiety quickly turned into fear as her family realized something was terribly wrong.
Unknown to them, Risper had met her former boyfriend, 21-year-old Elvis Ndegwa—the father of her child.
Their relationship had once been built on young love after meeting in high school. But after becoming parents, their lives became consumed by financial struggles, disagreements, and repeated allegations of violence. Risper had previously reported Elvis to the police over an alleged assault before later withdrawing the case. Although they were no longer together, they had remained in contact because of their child.
That day, the pair checked into a lodging in Nanyuki town. According to investigators, they did not pay in advance, no identification documents were recorded, and the premises reportedly lacked functioning CCTV cameras.
Hours later, after noticing unusual silence from their room, the manager decided to check.
What awaited him was horrifying.
Risper lay lifeless inside the room.
Elvis was nowhere to be seen.
Investigators believe an argument broke out between the two before the situation turned deadly. According to the postmortem findings, Risper suffered severe head injuries after being struck with a blunt object before she was strangled. There were reportedly no defensive wounds on her hands, suggesting she may have been attacked unexpectedly and never had a chance to defend herself.
Her mobile phone had also been destroyed.
Instead of calling for help or alerting anyone, the suspect allegedly fled the scene, leaving behind the young woman he had once claimed to love.
The following day, Risper’s father desperately searched for his daughter across Nanyuki. He visited places she frequently went, hoping she would walk through the door at any moment.
As he headed to report her missing, he made one heartbreaking stop at the local morgue.
There, his worst fears were confirmed.
The body before him was his daughter’s.
Police investigations soon gathered momentum after staff at the lodging reportedly identified Elvis as the man who had arrived with Risper. Detectives launched a manhunt, treating the case as murder.
Although Elvis was later arrested, authorities say he escaped from custody. According to the latest available information, he remains wanted, and investigators continue searching for him.
Risper’s death left behind a grieving father, devastated relatives, and an innocent baby who will now grow up without a mother’s love.
Her story is a painful reminder that domestic violence and repeated abuse should never be ignored. Warning signs can escalate into irreversible tragedy, making it vital for victims to seek support and for communities to take reports of abuse seriously.
Risper Faith was laid to rest surrounded by grieving family and friends, but the search for justice continues.
May she rest in eternal peace.
