Court Conditionally Releases Rita Waeni Air BnB Owner
The proprietor of the short-term rental apartment on TRM Drive in Kasarani, Nairobi, where the university student Rita Waeni was murdered and dismembered, has been granted conditional release by the Makadara Court.
Priscila Maina was set free by Senior Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku; however, she was instructed to attend appointments at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI’s) Homicides Unit offices in the DCI headquarters twice weekly for one month.
She will appear before investigators on Tuesdays and Fridays for questioning.
Ms. Maina was set free following an affidavit submitted by Corporal Philip Kilonzo from the Homicides Unit to Kituku, requesting custodial orders for three men. These men had been previously held at Kasarani police station along with Ms. Maina, and Corporal Kilonzo aimed to secure her release.
Ms. Maina was detained because she neglected to record essential information about her tenant, as mandated by the law. This information could have assisted the DCI officers in locating the perpetrator of the crime.
Attorney Eunice Katila expressed satisfaction with Ms. Maina’s release and affirmed their willingness to support her in meeting with investigators within the timeframe specified by the court.
She argues that the error made by her client was not documenting the information about the tenant residing in the house where Ms. Waeni is believed to have been murdered.
The perpetrators of Ms. Waeni’s murder dismembered her remains, placing certain body parts in a garbage bag and wrapping others in cloth before disposing of them at the building’s ground floor garbage point.
Kelvin Mutiso, Eugene Omondi, and Brian Kinoti apprehended near the residence, will be detained at Muthaiga police station for a week while detectives conduct inquiries.
They were apprehended as they were discovered inside a residence situated on the first floor of GreenHouse apartments, adjacent to the one where Waeni was murdered, and they were not occupants of that particular apartment.
Only Kinoti has a house on the third floor of the building.
“It has been established that both second and third respondents (Mutiso and Omondi) are not residents of the apartment where the offense was committed and the team is yet to establish the residence and the reason for their visit at the said place at the time of the incident in question,” stated Kilonzo.
“The investigating team has also confirmed that the third respondent (Omondi) is a student of the JKUAT where Rita Waeni was a student too and therefore the investigators are yet to establish the coincidence.”
Their attorney, Steve Nyamu, argued against their prolonged detention, contending that the DCI explicitly stated that the primary suspect in the murder was still on the loose. He asserted that there was no justification for holding his clients any longer, as they were not considered suspects in the killing.
However, Kituku mentioned that the courts are now aware, referring to the (Paul) Mackenzie case. In this instance, magistrates initially rejected the police’s requests to detain Mackenzie for additional investigations. They released him, but later on, the full extent of the situation became apparent.
The judge mentioned that he is taking into account the grieving family, who has lost a loved one, as well as the concerns of the public who seek information about the unusual circumstances surrounding the murder, as it deviated from the typical methods seen in other cases.
Mueni’s murderers dismembered her corpse, placing some parts in a garbage bag and wrapping others in cloth before disposing of them at the ground-floor garbage collection point in the house.
Her head went missing for a week, and they vanished with it. Eventually, it was discovered in a dam in Kiambu County, wrapped in a blouse believed by the DCI to belong to Waeni.
Earlier, Mr. Kituku emphasized the significance of detaining the suspects in the case, highlighting that they must have the chance to prove their innocence regarding the murder allegations.
“It is in the best interest of the respondents (the suspects) that they are thoroughly investigated and exonerated if they are innocent than hurried investigations where they are charged only to be acquitted after a long trial.”
The court was informed that the homicide unit assumed control of the case on January 22. Corporal Kilonzo mentioned that they have not yet questioned the three individuals.
ALSO READ:
- How not to make a mistake when choosing the best bookmaker in Kenya
- Understanding Gatwiri’s Cause of Death: Unraveling Positional Asphyxiation
- KRA Rules Out Tax Relief on SHIF Deductions
- Understanding Why Married Women Cheat: Common Reasons Behind Infidelity
- Violence Erupts in Mozambique: Three Killed, 66 Injured in Protests Over Disputed Election
Corporal Kilonzo reported that a head believed to belong to Waeni underwent an autopsy on January 25, conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Onduor. The collected specimen was then sent to the Government analyst for comparison to confirm whether the head indeed belonged to Waeni.
He mentioned that the report analyzing the collected exhibits for comparison, including those obtained from Mutiso and others retrieved from a vehicle discovered at the scene, is still pending.
The DCI reports that Mutiso was discovered at residence B2, adjacent to the location where Waeni was murdered. Mutiso informed the police that he had visited that house and stayed overnight.
As per the DCI, Mutiso was discovered with a substance resembling blood on his socks and beneath his fingernails.
Omondi, a JKUAT student, informed investigators that he had recently visited his uncle, who resides in the same house where they were discovered, before heading back to school. The uncle’s residence is adjacent to the house where the unfortunate incident occurred.
The DCI reports that Mutiso was discovered at residence B2 adjacent to the location where the woman was murdered. He informed the police that he had visited the house and stayed overnight.
As per the DCI, during the search, a substance resembling blood was discovered both on and beneath his fingernails.
The remaining two individuals informed the authorities that they accompanied Mutiso as they watched a match in the Africa Continental tournament and shared a meal before going their separate ways.
Kinoti, residing on the third floor of the apartment, joined Mutiso and Omondi at their residence to watch a football match. After the game, he then went back to his apartment.
Court Conditionally Releases Rita Waeni Air BnB Owner
