Starlet Wahu murder: Businesswoman tells court Matara failed to pick up calls 10 times
By Zipporah Ngwatu, July 28, 2025A businesswoman, Jane Wairimu, who rents houses for a short stay in South B, Sanasana area within Nairobi County, and a prosecution witness number five in the murder of Starlet Wahu, tendered her testimony before the court.
Appearing before Justice Alexander Muteti on Monday, July 28, 2025, Wairimu informed the court that the accused person, John Matara, called him on January 3, 2024, at around 5 pm, looking for a house to rent.
Matara requested Wairimu to get online, where she found he had already texted her asking for a house, and she sent her photos.
However, after sending the photos, her client insisted that he wanted one with a balcony, leading to her seeking assistance from her colleague in the business, Charity Muthoni, who had the exact house Matara was looking for.
“He then told me to send him photos, I did, but my house did not have a balcony, he insisted he wanted a house with a balcony and I send him some other photos of another house,” Wairimu told the court.
Matara approved the second house, and he proceeded to ask how much it was, and she told him it was going for Ksh3,200.
She then told him she is sending him the location of the house, but he said he was going to use a matatu, asking her to direct him where to pick up the matatu heading to South B.
“He then asked me where he was going to board the matatu from, and I directed him and told him to alight at Attick place and use a corridor there to reach Papino’s apartment,” Wairimu told the court.
Later, upon inquiring how far the client was, Matara told her that he was already at Papino Apartment, asking her who he was to see for the keys at the apartment.
“He asked me who to see and I told him to go up to 4th floor house number Y32,upon reaching there, he asked for the code to open the house, and I told him the house is not closed since the cleaner had just left,” Wairimu told the court.
“I called him and asked him how the house was, and he said it was okay, I asked him to send the money but he said he had cash asking me to go for it,” Wairimu narrated to court.
However, she did not go for the money by herself but requested a cleaner, Angelica Muthoni, to get the money from the client, instructing him to go with Ksh200 and then hand over the balance to Charity and tell her to send her commission.
Blood-stained towel
Later, around 9 pm Charity called, informing her that the client they gave the house in Papino had left the apartment in a towel soaked with blood.
She rushed to the apartment, and they proceeded to Hazina Police Station, where they reported the matter, and the police accompanied them to the house and found that it was locked from the inside.
The officers broke in and found a lady kneeling down near the door, and blood was spilt everywhere.
Notably, Wairimu informed the court that after she was informed of the incident, she immediately called Matara ten times, but he was not picking up until the 11th call when a lady picked up and told her the owner was at South B Hospital.
“After I was informed of the incident I tried calling Matara’s 10 times but he was not picking, I decided to call for the last time and a lady picked who said the owner of the phone was at South B hospital,” Wairimu told the court.
She then sent a motorbike person to the said hospital to confirm if the accused was there, the person went back and told them that on reaching at the gate, he was informed that Matara had been referred to the Mbagathi hospital.
Together with the police, they proceeded to Mbagathi Hospital, where they found Matara receiving treatment, and he was arrested.
During cross-examination, Matara’s lawyer, Samuel Ayora, asked Wairimu whether she witnessed the accused killing Wahu, to which she said she did not.
The hearing will proceed on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 9 am.