Detectives have arrested a suspect believed to be a serial killer linked to the murders of two young women in Thika, Kiambu County.
The suspect, Samuel King’ara Kimani, is thought to be responsible for the brutal killings of 22-year-old Rosemary Njeri Ndekei and 20-year-old Hellen Wambui Ndung’u.
The first incident occurred on March 17, 2025, when Ndekei disappeared shortly after leaving for Thika town to shop for clothes.
“Her sudden disappearance raised alarm, prompting her boyfriend and family to file a missing person report at the Thika Police Station,” said the DCI in a statement.
Tragically, her body was discovered in a coffee plantation in Karibaribi the following day, March 18, 2025, and was subsequently transferred to General Kago Mortuary.
“An autopsy conducted by a government pathologist revealed that she died from manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head, indicating a violent homicide,” adds the DCI.
The second case emerged on March 31, 2025, when Ndung’u, a student at Gituamba Vocational Training College, went missing after being sent by her mother to buy food at Ngorongo Trading Centre.
“Her body was later found in a nearby bush, partially concealed by soil. While there were no visible injuries, neighbors identified her as the missing girl,” the statement further notes.
Following the tragic series of events, detectives from the Homicide Directorate, in collaboration with officers in Thika, tracked and arrested King’ara in Dry Area, Ngomongo on April 14, 2025.
“Investigations revealed a chilling pattern: the suspect is believed to have accosted both victims, dragging them into coffee plantations where he sexually assaulted them before taking their lives,” the DCI noted.
King’ara was arraigned on April 16, 2025, and detectives were granted custodial orders to continue their investigation.
