The body of Seth Nyakio Njeri was discovered in a rental apartment in the Biafra area, Thika County, on Sunday, October 20 after she was killed last Monday.
Nominated Kirinyaga Member of County Assembly (MCA) Lucy Njeri uncovered gruesome details behind the murder of her 23-year-old daughter last week in what is the latest episode of extreme violence against women in the country.
The body of Seth Nyakio Njeri was discovered in a rental apartment in the Biafra area, Thika County, on Sunday, October 20 after she was killed last Monday.
Her body, which was discovered two days after she left her home, had visible marks around her neck, suggesting she could have died from strangulation.
Speaking to the media, Njeri disclosed “I saw visible injuries on the neck. My daughter lay peacefully and you could even think we were talking to each other because the spirit had not departed from me. And she was the one.”
Nominated Kirinyaga MCA Lucy Njeri holding a photo of her late daughter, Seth Nyakio Njeri, while being overwhelmed with emotions. /FILE
Nyakio went missing on Saturday, October 12, after she left her home in Kamakis, Kiambu County, to visit a friend in Thika town.
The MCA recounted that Nyakio was in a jovial mood and the two talked until Sunday before she later tried to reach out to her without success. This matter would raise suspicion as her daughter rarely went for hours without communicating.
Njeri’s worst fears would be confirmed after receiving a strange phone call from a friend, who confirmed that the Zetech University graduate had passed away.
Speaking on learning about the death of her daughter, Lucy Njeri admitted it was difficult to accept she was gone, saying she could still feel the bond when looking at the deceased’s lifeless body.
She is now seeking justice for her murdered daughter, who was her only child. “It was murder and so many other shocking things that no parent would have liked to have passed the pain my daughter has died with.”
“And also the trauma and shock I have been left with. I loved her so much. For now, I don’t have any children. I had only her,” Njeri remarked.
Preliminary investigation revealed she had been strangled. Police revealed that the assailant sexually abused the deceased before committing the heinous act.
Investigations have since zeroed in on an aggrieved male friend after the two separated. It was suspected that the boyfriend got wind of the whereabouts of the girl, seduced her and ended up killing her.
It is a theory that Seth’s parents dismissed alleging the friend Seth was visiting had information of what might have transpired. Detectives have recorded statements from the female friend Seth had visited.
This latest incident highlighted the worrying trend of young girls losing their lives at the hands of assailants, some of whom are yet to be brought to justice.
Uproar regarding high femicide cases in Kenya prompted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Tuesday, January 30 to introduce a specialized team with firm instructions to expedite investigations on serious sexual offences and murder incidents involving women.
Murders of Starlet Wahu and Rita Waeni in the space of a week prompted women across the country to stage nationwide peaceful demonstrations on January 27, calling for an end to the killings.
