A 19-year-old suspect has been arraigned before the Nakuru High Court over the murder of four women in July and August 2024.
The suspect, Ezekiel Sakwa Mwangi, also known as Kwame, has been charged with the murder of four women, including a minor.
He was arrested on August 18, 2024, and arraigned at the Molo Law Courts on August 19, 2024, where the Molo Magistrate Court detained him for 30 days.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mwangi has been linked to several heinous crimes in Rongai sub-county, Nakuru County.
“Ezekiel Sakwa Mwangi, also known as Kwame, a 19-year-old suspect linked to several heinous crimes in Rongai sub-county, Nakuru County, has been arraigned before the Nakuru High Court and charged with four counts of murder,” DCI stated on Thursday, September 19, 2024.
“Mwangi’s arrest on August 18, 2024, set off a chain of legal proceedings, beginning with his arraignment at the Molo Law Courts the following day. The Molo Magistrate Court granted detectives a 30-day window to delve deeper into the case, a task that was soon taken over by homicide detectives from the DCI headquarters.”
Nakuru murders
The suspect is accused of murdering a five-year-old minor on July 13, 2024, whose body was found in a maize plantation in the Mwangaza area in Nakuru.
On August 5, 2024, Mwangi is suspected to have attacked and killed Virginia Njeri Mwangi at the Menengai prayer cave.
On August 6, 2024, the suspect is thought to have attacked and killed 34-year-old Florence Mueni Mwalimu and dumped her body in a bush.
According to the DCI, the suspect could have been involved in the murder of Vellah Moraa Mogambi on August 7, 2024, along the railway line at Baraka Estate, where she was attacked and fatally wounded.
“The investigation uncovered a gruesome timeline of events spanning from July to August 2024. Mwangi is suspected to have sexually assaulted and murdered four women, including a minor. The horror began on July 13, 2024, when five-year-old Alice Ayuma was found dead in a maize plantation in the Mwangaza area, her body bearing the marks of a brutal assault with a rungu,” DCI stated.
“The violence continued on August 5, 2024, when Virginia Njeri Mwangi met a similar fate at the Menengai prayer cave. The following day, in Kalyet village, 34-year-old Florence Mueni Mwalimu was struck down, and her body discarded in a bush. The killing spree culminated on August 7, 2024, along the railway line at Baraka Estate, where Vellah Moraa Mogambi was attacked and fatally wounded.”
Mwangi pleaded not guilty to all charges and sought release on bond, a request that was denied.
The case is set for mention on October 15, 2024.