Connect with us

News

Prime suspect in Nyeri woman bizarre killing detained for 21 days

Published

on

A court in Nyeri has granted homicide detectives 21 days to continue holding the prime suspect in the murder of Joy Kanini in June this year to allow them time to complete investigations.

Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma made the order following an application by State Prosecutor Ms Mukara, who sought orders to allow detectives to hold John Muriithi, who was arrested in connection with the murder, for 24 days to enable them to wind up their investigations.

The murder incident hit the headlines when the torso of the 25-year-old deceased shoe seller was discovered on the morning of June 11 within Ngangarithi Estate in Nyeri town.

The torso, which did not have limbs, a neck and a head, had been stuffed in a sack and had been placed outside the fence of the prime suspect’s home.

According to records at the Nyeri Central Police Station, the prime suspect, identified as 25-year-old John Muriithi Nderitu, alias Tizo, recorded a missing person report on the same day and contacted Kanini’s parents to inform them that their daughter was missing.

He had thereafter accompanied Kanini’s parents to the police station to help trace their missing daughter before fleeing the police station.

An intensive search by detectives and members of Kanini’s family on June 17 led to the discovery of the missing limbs in a six-foot pit latrine in Muriithi’s homestead.

A post-mortem conducted at the Nyeri County Referral funeral home on that day established that Kanini died from excessive bleeding.

After evading police for more than a month, Muriithi was arrested by DCI officers on Friday night, July 10, along the Nanyuki-Isiolo road while on the run. He is said to have been fleeing to Uganda.

The prosecutor told the court that the suspect was a flight risk, having been arrested a month after the incident occurred. She told the court that there was a high possibility that if released, Muriithi will not only interfere with witnesses but also with the ongoing investigations into the murder.

“The application is premised on eight grounds. We are setting forth compelling reasons as to why the suspect should be held for 24 days. They can be summarised into three: he is a flight risk, there is a high probability that he will interfere with witnesses, and a number of investigation steps are yet to be completed,” said Ms Mukara.

She revealed that the investigating team was yet to visit the scene of the crime for scene reconstruction, and they would therefore need more time with the accused to help them piece together the events that transpired on the fateful day.

She also told the court that there were impending arrests of other accomplices who are privy to the murder. She expressed concern that if released, Muriithi could interfere with the process.

The officer, who is among the sleuths investigating the matter, also informed the court that the investigating team is yet to trace key witnesses who will aid in the investigations, and as such, his release will deter those who perceive him as a threat from freely recording their statements.

Sergeant Nzioka further informed the court that their preliminary investigations had established that a commotion had occurred before the bizarre murder, and as a result the DCI will need to conduct medical examinations to establish if there are any defence and assault injuries.

She argued that the additional time would allow them to conduct the mandatory mental assessment to determine if Muriithi is fit to stand trial.

“We would like to conduct a medical examination and at the same time, DNA sampling on the suspect. This is to allow the government chemist to conclude DNA cross-matching and toxicology tests and also for the DCI lab to process the deceased person’s phone, which was recovered during the arrest of the suspect,” she told the court.

She told the court that due to the public attention raised by the incident, the detectives could not guarantee his safety if released.

Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma ruled that the prosecution had raised convincing grounds to justify the detention. While reducing the time from 24 days to 21 days, she noted that whereas the constitution protects Muriithi’s right not to be held unnecessarily as well as the right to a speedy trial, the same constitution protects the rights of the deceased to justice.

Nderitu will be remanded at the Kiganjo Police Station until August 4, when the matter will be mentioned in court-STAR.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

Published

on

The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

Continue Reading

News

Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

Published

on

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

Continue Reading

News

ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

Published

on

The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

Continue Reading

Trending