Phyllis Nzula Mbithi, the primary suspect in the murder case involving hairstylist Jeniffer Mwende (also known as Jane), was apprehended last night in Kitengela town after an extensive manhunt led by the crime research detectives.

The tragic story of a fatal love triangle brought Phyllis to public attention when it was revealed that she had issued threats to Mwende concerning a married man they were both involved with.

Mwende's disappearance was reported to the police by her brother on August 29, 2023.



Despite days of tireless searching, the case was eventually escalated to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), prompting a fresh round of inquiries and the collection of statements from various individuals of interest.

Forensic analysis uncovered a deliberate plan to end Mwende's life, orchestrated by the main suspect and aided by two other women, rather than a mere coincidence in her disappearance.


Detectives discovered that Phyllis enlisted the help of a female neighbor named Faith Nthenya to entice Mwende into a deadly trap through a phone call, falsely claiming that some clients were in need of her services at a specified location.

Once inside, Mwende was subdued by the two women before Phyllis contacted a third accomplice, Evelyne Wanza Katumbu, the wife of the man at the center of the affair, Januaris Musau Mulwa.

Wanza, protective of her husband, accused Phyllis of trying to steal him away.

In a bid to deflect blame, Phyllis schemed to lure Mwende, who she knew was involved with Musau as well, and then informed the wife, shifting the blame onto the unsuspecting victim.

Interrogations of Wanza and Faith, both of whom were arrested, revealed that Phyllis initially planned to discreetly transport the body out of the compound using an unidentified taxi driver. However, this plan failed due to a lack of access to the main gate.

They subsequently resorted to disposing of the body in a pit latrine.

Phyllis, who had remained on the police's radar, managed to evade capture and fled to Mombasa and Kibwezi before her eventual arrest last night.

Her court appearance is scheduled for Monday, October 30, where she will join her co-conspirators Faith and Wanza, both of whom entered pleas to the murder charges earlier yesterday.