Two women were charged with the murder of Jennifer Mwende, a hairdresser who went missing in Mlolongo, Machakos County, before being found dead, have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Everlyn Wanza Katumbu and Faith Nthemba Kyalo, the two main suspects, were arraigned at the Machakos High Court and pleaded not guilty before Justice Margaret Muigai.
Wanza and Nthemba were accused on August 28, 2023, of the murder of Jennifer Mwende Musila in Mlolongo Phase 2 of Athi River Sub-county.
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The two pleaded guilty after receiving a mental examination at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, where the prosecution stated that the examination determined they could face trial.
The two suspects will stay in detention until a decision on their bail application is made.
The case is scheduled to be heard on November 14, 2023.
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Mwende's decomposing body was thrown in a pit latrine in the Mlolongo neighborhood on September 12 after being absent for almost two weeks.
Mwende claimed to have gotten a phone call early Friday morning, August 25th, from a person pretending to be a client needing her hairdressing services at their home. She walked away, never to return.
During their previous court appearance, the two suspects complained of immense torture while in police custody. Margaret Muigai, a Machakos High Court judge, ordered their mental evaluation at Machakos Level 5 Hospital on October 18th and released their medical report on the same day.
Mwende died from asphyxiation induced by manual neck compression, according to a post-mortem done last month at Montezuma Monalisa Mortuary in Machakos town.
