Starlet Wahu, Rita Waeni and Other 4 Women who Died in Pursuit of Love, Passion

 

Murder cases have been rampant in the recent past, with Rita Waeni's murder being the latest. Many have now taken to the streets and social media to demand justice for these women. Kenyans have always condemned femicide and most bereaved families have never found justice. Several women lost their lives at the hands of their lovers, while others were allegedly killed by their friends. TUKO.co.ke has compiled a list of women who were murdered in pursuit of love and others whose deaths were linked to their lovers indirectly. 1. Rita Waeni On January 13, the 20-year-old left home in Syokimau to meet a friend in Roysambu but never returned home.  Rita Waeni was killed at an Airbnb in Roysambu.  Waeni's body was discovered by a caretaker of an apartment in Roysambu, where her alleged friend, with whom she was reported to have gone on a date had booked an Airbnb. The Airbnb manager, Risper Muthoni, said the caretaker called her on Sunday, January 14, informing her of polythene bags on the stairs as well as a blood-soaked white bed sheet. In a statement released by Waeni's family, they said someone called them asking for a ransom of KSh 500,000. "On Sunday, January 14th, at 5am, her father received a message, delivered from her phone number, demanding a ransom of Ksh. 500,000 within 24 hours for her release. With this message, the family reported the matter to the police and DCI, and investigations began. Additional two messages were sent to the family demanding the ransom. Unfortunately, the family did not get further details about the ransom or an opportunity to explore this route," read part of the statement.  2. Starlet Wahu She was killed two weeks before Waeni. Wahu, the sister of Pastor Kanyari, was allegedly stabbed to death by a man identified as John Matara. Starlet Wahu was found murdered at an Airbnb in South B. Photo: Starlet Wahu. Source: Instagram Wahu and Matara checked in at an Airbnb at South B's Papino apartment on Thursday, January 4, and a few hours later, her lifeless body was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Matara was arrested at Mbagathi Hospital, where he had gone to seek treatment, and he is in police custody as investigations are ongoing. 3. Agnes Tirop The athlete's body was found in a pool of blood on the morning of Wednesday, October 13, 2021, with stab wounds believed to have been inflicted on her by her lover Ibrahim Rotich. Agnes Tirop was a Kenyan olympian who was killed at 25. Photo: Agnes Tirop. Source: Facebook On October 19, 2021, two pathologists at the Iten County Referral Hospital (ICRH) mortuary who carried out the post-mortem said the world-record-breaking runner had also been hit by a blunt object."Generally, the examination has shown injuries due to blunt post-trauma. The stabs were to the neck, and the blunt trauma was to the head,” Government Pathologist Dorothy Njeru who led the exercise said. 4. Ivy Wangechi She was a final-year student at the Moi University School of Medicine when her life was cut short. The would-be doctor died in April 2019 after Naftali Kinuthia attacked her with an axe in broad daylight outside the precincts of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Ivy Wangechi during her days in campus.  Her 2011 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education emerged online, showing she had a clean sweep of As in her national exam. In December 2023, an Eldoret court convicted Kinuthia for 40 years after being found guilty of killing his girlfriend. 5. Monica Kimani The businesswoman was found dead in the bathtub at her Lamuria Gardens apartment in Kilimani in September 2018. Instagramer and singer Jowie Irungu was arrested as the main suspect in Monica's murder, but he later denied they knew each other. His girlfriend by then, Jacquey Maribe, was arrested too, and she spent days in remand at Kangata Women's Prison. The case has been in court for over five years, and the family is yet to receive justice. It is still unclear if Jowie and Monica were in a relationship. 6. Tecra Muigai The Keroche Breweries heiress passed away at a Nairobi hospital on May 2, 2020, while receiving treatment. Tecra was staying in Shella, Lamu county with her boyfriend, Omar Lali, when she fell on a staircase and sustained injuries. Tecra Muigai and Omar Lali during their happy days. Photo: Tecra Muigai. Source: UGC Testifying on November 11, 2021, before the Milimani senior principal magistrate Zainab Abdul, a police officer revealed that Omar, the chief suspect, had confided in him that the deceased had succumbed to injuries after falling on a staircase. Lali told the police that he was fast asleep when he heard a bang and funny noise. Upon waking up, he found Tecra lying on the floor with blood oozing from one of her ears, later establishing that she was unconscious. She was taken to a nearby facility which referred her to King Fahad Hospital. Tecra was then flown to Nairobi Hospital, where she succumbed to injuries. What to know about the deceased women Waeni is said to have met her killer on Instagram, and chats showed that she had opted out of the meet-up plans with the man before she was lured into the trap Waeni's family described her as an intelligent, smart girl beyond her age at the very start of her youth. Wahu lived life to the fullest, and her best friend has been penning tearjerking messages to her, reminiscing about the sweet days they shared together. Monica' Kimani's case has dragged on for over five years, and the High Court postponed the judgment of former TV news anchor and her ex-fiance, Jowie to January 26, 2024. 

by  Caren Nyota