Police arrest married man for allegedly killing his side chick

Police have arrested a married man for allegedly killing his side chick in Kimbo, Githurai, Kenya three days ago.

The 38-year-old man, Evans Karani from Githurai Kimbo, suspected of killing his girlfriend was arrested after his car got stuck in the mud in Witeithie area, Juja, with the body of Catherine Nyokabi, 25, inside.

Police said the suspect confessed to killing Nyokabi, a hotel worker in Kahawa Wendani, following a bitter conflict.

Juja Sub-County Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO), Richard Mwaura, who confirmed the incident on Friday, April 16, said the suspect attempted to discard Nyokabi’s body on Wednesday but his efforts were thwarted by mud.

While transporting Nyokabi’s body in his car, Karani’s vehicle got stuck in the mud on Bob Harris road in Juja, forcing him to flee, leaving the body and car behind, the DCI said.

Curious passersby who saw the abandoned car alerted the police after peeping in and seeing a body inside.

DCI detectives traced the car to Karani after verification from the National Transport and Safety Authority’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

A hunt for Karani was launched by a multi-agency team comprising the police, DCI officers and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) officers.

The search led the team to a rented house in Kimbo where the suspect was arrested on Friday.

Karani told police that the two had been dating for a while before the intense squabble that led to the loss of Nyokabi’s life.

The authorities said Nyokabi’s body was badly disfigured and it is suspected that she had been burnt using a corrosive chemical.

“She was badly disfigured. Besides the burn injuries, she had bruises on the face and head. It appears she was tortured before being killed,” a detective told The Standard.

Authorities said the suspect confessed to killing Nyokabi, a hotel worker in Kahawa Wendani, following a bitter conflict, which they had been embroiled in for the past two weeks.

Karani, who is married, reportedly told police Nyokabi was his secret lover.

The deceased’s father, Gitonga Njogu, told The Standard that initial reports suggested his daughter, the firstborn in a family of four children, died in a road accident.

“On Facebook, certain people were claiming my child was killed in a car crash in Juja. However, when we got to see her body at the City Mortuary, we were shocked. The visible injuries clearly indicated Nyokabi’s cause of death was not a road accident as had been alleged,” said Njogu.

“My girl (Nyokabi) was hard-working, cheerful, and very loving. Her future was promising,” said Njogu while attempting to balance a tear in his eyes.

The old man said Nyokabi had, in the past, introduced Karani to him as her suitor.

“I knew them to be lovers. Just like in any other relationship, they had differences, which I would help them iron out. Two weeks ago, my daughter said she and Karani had broken up. I told her, it was okay; she shouldn’t cling onto a relationship in which she was unhappy. That was the last time I heard of the suspect.”

Karani will be arraigned on Monday, April 19, when detectives would seek to detain him longer to allow for investigations to be completed.