Among the tragedies that gripped the nation in 2024 were several brutal murders that sent shockwaves across Kenya.
These incidents, marked by their severity and tragic outcomes, left families in mourning and sparked widespread concerns about the safety of Kenyans.
In this article, Nairobileo.co.ke explores the most shocking murder cases that dominated headlines throughout the year.
Rita Waeni murder
The former Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student was murdered in one of the most brutal ways imaginable shocking the entire nation.
Read More
The January 14, 2024, incident highlighted the extent of the atrocity when Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted the post-mortem examination, revealed it was the most horrific case he had encountered in his career.
His words and visibly shaken demeanour while addressing the press underscored the unimaginable pain Waeni endured before her death.
Waeni was killed in an apartment on TRM Drive, Kasarani, and her dismembered body was found stuffed in garbage bags, with her head missing. In a grim discovery, detectives later recovered a human head, believed to be hers, in a dam in Kiambaa, Kiambu County.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) released a photo of the prime suspect in Waeni's murder, appealing to the public for information to help locate and apprehend him.
Kirinyaga MCA daughter murder
In October 2024, nominated Kirinyaga MCA Lucy Njeri disclosed how her 23-year-old daughter was brutally murdered.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, October 20, Njeri disclosed that her daughter, Seth Nyakio Njeri, had visible injuries on the neck.
Her lifeless body was discovered at a rented house in Thika, Kiambu County, where the politician went and recognised her.
According to the police, the Zetech University graduate was defiled by her killers before being strangled.
On Thursday, November 14, DCI unveiled the identity of the main suspect behind the murder of Nyakio.
The directorate disclosed that the suspect, Ken Kimathi Gichunuku, alias Sultan, went into hiding after killing Nyakio. DCI then appealed for information about his whereabouts.
Kware murders
The discovery of mutilated bodies at a dumpsite in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Nairobi, in July 2024 raised a major security concern.
At least nine bodies that were badly mutilated were retrieved from the dumpsite. President William Ruto on Saturday, July 13, ordered the DCI to expedite investigations into the incident.
On Monday, July 15, DCI arrested the prime suspect linked to the brutal killings. According to the directorate, the suspect, Collins Jumaisi, confessed to luring and killing 42 women.
Jumaisi was placed in police custody at Gigiri Police Station but on Tuesday morning, August 20, the suspect escaped.
The suspect is still at large and DCI has since pledged a cash reward for information leading to his rearrest.
Eastleigh murders
On October 21, 2024, three women from Eastleigh, Nairobi, were brutally murdered.
The deceased were identified as Waris Daud (39), her daughter Amina Abdirashid (22), and her niece Nuseiba Dahir (13).
Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted an autopsy on the bodies, stated that the trio was tortured before their deaths.
He, however, noted that their murders were executed differently.
The 13-year-old was suffocated, the 22-year-old was stabbed, and the 39-year-old met her death after her throat was slit.
The pathologist further revealed that Nuseiba, the youngest of the victims, might have been sexually assaulted before the murder.
On Sunday, November 3, the prime suspect linked to the murders was arrested.
The suspect, Hashim Dagane Muhumed, was linked to the crime through CCTV footage that showed him driving a car that picked up the victims shortly before their disappearance.
Willis Ayieko murder
The former Wells Fargo Human Resource Manager went missing on Friday, October 18, 2024, before he was found dead on Wednesday, October 23, near a stream in Yala, Siaya County.
An autopsy conducted by the Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor at the Lee Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 29, revealed that Ayieko died as a result of head injuries.
According to the pathologist, there was some presence of bleeding in the brain.
Additionally, there were some bruises on his wrists to suggest that his killers tied his hands during the incident.
The autopsy results also detailed that animals ate some parts of the body after his killers discarded the body.
Several suspects linked to the murder have since been arrested and their cases are currently in court.
