Government shares update on Rita Waeni’s missing ‘head’ probe
State investigative agencies are yet to ascertain whether the human head recovered at a dam in Kiambu two weeks ago belongs to Rira Waeni.
Waeni, a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) was killed at a short–stay – rental apartment along TRM Drive in Kasarani, Nairobi, in January 2024.
Corporal Philip Kilonzo of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) Homicides Unit told a Makadara court that the specimens were collected from the head and forwarded to the Government Analyst for comparison with body parts recovered at the apartment but the results are not yet out.
The detective was seeking an extension of custodial orders to hold two Nigerian men William Ovie Opia and Johnbull Asbor who were arrested in Ndenderu, Kiambu County the same day the head was recovered, not far from where they were living.
Cpl. Kilonzo told Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Wahito Mwangi that the Homicides Unit took over the investigations into Waeni’s murder on January 22 and is yet to interview the two suspects to ascertain their places of residence.
He said the DCI had written to the immigration department to confirm the nationality of the two men and the status of their passports.
The detective also said that the investigating team recovered a laptop and mobile phones from the suspects at the time of arrest and the same have been forwarded to the Cybercrime experts for analysis and the results are not yet out.
“The investigating team is still awaiting the call data records and analysis of the SIM cards recovered to establish if they were involved in the planning of the heinous act,” Cpl. Kilonzo stated in the affidavit filed in court.
“Based on issues here in and the active investigations leads being followed by the team of investigators, makes the respondents (the two suspects) flight risks and should thus remain in custody pending conclusion of the investigations.”
The two suspects were traced by the DCI’s Criminal Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) detectives to an apartment in Ndenderu in Kiambu County where they were picked up.
Ms Mwangi remanded them at the Ruaraka police station where they remain until February 15 when the DCI is expected to present them in court.
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