What started as a missing person concern in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, ended in a devastating discovery that has left neighbours and family members struggling to process their grief.
Peter Munene, 40, had been reported missing since Sunday, November 8, when locals began to grow uneasy after noticing an unusual smell coming from his rented house in Dindiruku village.
When they investigated further, they found his body hidden beneath his bed. A woman he had allegedly been in a relationship with for just two weeks is suspected of killing him.
Family Shocked by Secret Romance
Munene’s brother, Patrick Jenga, described him as a quiet, private man who had never mentioned being in any relationship.
“I never knew he had someone, because I have never heard that he has a wife and he has never told us as his family that he was seeing someone; he was just 40 years old,” Patrick said.
The revelation that Munene may have been allegedly killed by someone he had known for such a short time made the loss even more difficult for those close to him to accept.
Resident Josephine Karitu said the community was still in disbelief over both the death and the circumstances surrounding it.
“He is a hard worker; he always provided for himself and never took things that weren’t his. Now I am shocked to learn that he is dead in these terrible circumstances,” Karitu said.
In the wake of the incident, the family, residents and local authorities called on landlords across the area to maintain proper records of their tenants.
They argued that such documentation could prove critical in helping police trace individuals when similar incidents arise.
