John Matara, the prime suspect in the murder of socialite Starlet Wahu, took the witness stand Thursday, October 8, and gave a detailed account of how he first came across the deceased on an online platform and what he says transpired on the night she died.
Testifying before the court, Matara said he discovered Wahu’s profile on the online platform, a website he described as one where commercial sex workers advertise their services.
He said he contacted her through a number listed on her profile, and she quoted him KSh 35,000 per night.
How the Two Met and the Debt That Built Up
Matara told the court their first meeting took place at Sankara Hotel in Westlands around July or August 2023, for which he paid the full amount.
A second meeting at the same hotel in December 2023 saw him pay only KSh 20,000, leaving an outstanding balance of KSh 15,000 that he promised to settle at their next encounter.
On January 3, 2024, Wahu agreed to meet him at Papino Apartments in South B, on condition that he cleared the KSh 15,000 debt and booked a unit with a balcony.
Matara said he reserved Unit Y32 through Jiji.co.ke that afternoon, checking in around 5 pm.
Wahu arrived at approximately 8 pm by Uber, and the two spent the evening drinking whisky, listening to music, and recording content for her OnlyFans account.
Payment Dispute and the Alleged Stabbing
Matara testified that after their first round of intimacy, Wahu abruptly demanded immediate payment of the KSh 15,000 outstanding debt plus an additional KSh 35,000 hook-up fee, bringing the total she claimed to KSh 50,000.
He said she became verbally abusive and threatened that neither of them would leave the room unless she was paid in full.
He told the court he transferred KSh 20,000 via M-Pesa and pleaded for time to pay the remainder the following morning, explaining he was awaiting a KSh 100,000 payment for an app development project.
According to his testimony, Wahu appeared to settle momentarily, but after he stepped away briefly to use the bathroom, she launched a sudden knife attack upon his return, stabbing him multiple times on both thighs.
Matara described a chaotic struggle that moved from the bedroom into the living room, during which he sustained deep cuts on his palms while attempting to grab the blade.
He said he eventually escaped through the apartment door, bleeding heavily, and made his way out of the building with assistance from a boda boda rider named Opondo, who transported him for medical care.
He was later arrested at Mbagathi Hospital, where he had been referred for treatment. Police arrived, identified him as a murder suspect, and took him into custody after recovering his phone.
Matara told the court he left Wahu alive and did not at any point handle the knife to injure her, adding that he remains in shock over her death.
The case is scheduled to resume on December 16.
