List of famous celebrities that serial sex offender John Matara targeted
In the wake of the pandemic, John Matara, a suspected serial sex offender, shifted his attention to social media, attempting to connect with influencers, including Margaret Wanyama, known for her association with DJ Mo.
Wanyama came into the limelight in October 2020 after she was linked to the gospel DJ, and their communication leaked online.
Anyhow, both DJ Mo and Wanyama denied any wrongdoing. After the media blitz she enjoyed, it seems, Matara also followed her on social media and sent her private messages asking to meet her.
Wanyama who did not respond to the messages, at the time, narrowly escaped Matara’s advances. She only discovered he was a Facebook friend after he was named as the main suspect in the brutal murder of Starlet Wahu. She promptly blocked him.
In May 2023, Matara approached Wanyama again via direct message, seeking her WhatsApp number for further interaction so they can “mingle”.
Also read: DJ Mo’s former alleged mistress now married, living in America
Speaking about it, Wanyama posted a screenshot of the many ignored messages from Matara expressing relief at avoiding potential harm.
Wanyama said, “Imagine he even chatted me. Good thing I ignored his messages.” She added, “I did not even know this guy follows me. [I’m ] blocking him.”
Wanyama was not the only influencer Matara reached out to. Using the street moniker “Rebelius Monk,” he made unsuccessful attempts to engage with other popular influencers on Instagram.
His Instagram posts, devoid of captions, appeared on November 9, 2021. Two subsequent photos were shared on March 26, 2022, all featuring him sporting long, thick locks, including one with a black cotton headwrap tied into a high bun.
Matara’s Instagram account has only 50 followers and he followed 18 people, of which 9 are popular famous female personalities.
Notable figures in his Instagram follow list included international personalities, Kourtney Kardashian Barker and Taylor Swift.
Berhane Lucia Natalina is among the influencers he chose to follow. Although she maintains a private life, little is known about her. Berhane is a marketer, content creator, and specialist in beauty and skincare based in Kenya.
Another personality he followed is Teacher Wanjiku – whose real name was Carolyne Wanjiku Tharau. Teacher Wanjiku is a Kenyan comedian, actress, and producer. She serves as the founder and CEO of Mwalimu Production, a content creation company specializing in animated content designed specifically for children.
Also read: Inside the mind of Starlet Wahu’s killer John Matara: A deep dive into his music
Matara also followed Betty Kyallo, a reality TV star, media personality, and entrepreneur. Julie Gichuru, a former media personality and entrepreneur, was also on his list of follows.
Janet Mbugua, the founder of Inua Dada, and two artistes, Avril and Diana B, were also part of the personalities Matara chose to follow on social media.
Despite his nefarious plots, Matara’s Instagram presence failed to gain traction. His social media endeavours proved futile, leading him to turn to dating sites to pursue his convoluted plans.
On the Tagged dating site, he would allegedly lure women by promising to take them on extravagant dates and would always send them money.
So far, he has been accused by three women of luring them into AirBnB dates and assaulting them, Matara engaged victims through platforms like Tagged.
Tagged, a social network launched in 2004, recently updated its Terms of Service on December 8, 2023, explicitly warning users that they do not conduct criminal background checks, urging caution when interacting with others.
Matara is currently the main suspect in the brutal murder of socialite Starlet Wahu, with police documenting the ongoing investigation into his alleged crimes.