In a harrowing incident that has shocked Nairobi’s Huruma district, police apprehended 29-year-old John Kiama Wambua early Tuesday morning for allegedly murdering and dismembering his 19-year-old wife, Joy Fridah Munani.Officers on routine patrol became suspicious upon encountering Wambua carrying a heavy backpack at approximately 5:00 am. Upon inspection, they discovered mutilated human body parts inside. Wambua reportedly confessed that the remains belonged to his wife and led authorities to their residence, where additional body parts were found concealed beneath the bed.
Court documents reveal that Wambua admitted to killing Munani following a domestic dispute after allegedly finding her with another man. He further confessed to dismembering her body in an attempt to dispose of the evidence.
The Milimani Law Courts have granted police permission to detain Wambua for 21 days to complete their investigation, which includes notifying the victim’s family and recording statements from key witnesses.
This tragic event underscores a disturbing trend in Kenya, which has one of the highest rates of femicide in Africa. Between August and October of the previous year, at least 97 women were murdered, according to Kenya’s National Police Service. In December, hundreds of women protested in Nairobi against the rising wave of femicides, highlighting the urgent need for societal and governmental action to protect women.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has described the act as “heinous” and confirmed that Wambua will face formal murder charges in an upcoming court hearing.
