The family of the 20-year-old woman, Rita Waeni Muendo, whose dismembered body was found at a residential apartment in Nairobi's Roysambu area on Sunday, has disclosed new details surrounding her horrific murder where a message demanding Ksh. 500,000 was sent to them.
As per the family, Rita left her aunt's residence in Syokimau to meet with a friend.
They report that at approximately 5 am on Sunday, Rita's father received a message purportedly sent from her phone number. The message demanded a ransom of Ksh. 500,000 within 24 hours for the release of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student.
“With this message, the family reported the matter to the police and DCI, and investigations began,” reads a statement from the family seen by Citizen Digital.
They say an additional two messages were sent to the family demanding the ransom.
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“Unfortunately, the family did not get further details about the ransom or an opportunity to explore this route. Additionally, some demands were made when she had already been murdered,” the family said.
The body parts of the university student, who was about to enter her fourth year, were found inside a garbage bag within the apartment by the caretaker on Sunday. However, her head was notably missing.
“We believe she was lured by her killer, who also tried to extort money from her family, even after killing her,” the family added.
They described her as “an intelligent, smart girl beyond her age at the very start of her youth,” who was known for her kindness, laughter, and “ability to light up any room she entered.”
Detectives are currently in pursuit of Ms. Muendo's head and her personal items, which include her clothing and mobile phone.
On Tuesday, law enforcement apprehended a male foreign national at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on suspicion of his involvement in the murder. The individual, traveling with a Mozambican passport, was detained before boarding a flight due to reportedly arousing suspicion. After undergoing interrogation at the airport, he was subsequently transferred to the Kasarani Police Station pending identification.
Nevertheless, authorities have not yet determined whether the man currently in police custody is the individual captured on CCTV footage obtaining the keys to the rental apartment where the dismembered body of the girl was discovered.
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