The man currently in police custody, linked to the demise of 19-year-old Joan Mbula Nzomo at Thome estate in Kasarani on Saturday, had previously spent five hours in the company of another unidentified woman in the same room.
Subsequently, he was with Mbula, a student at the Nairobi Aviation College, who passed away under mysterious circumstances a few hours later.
As reported by Nation, Lawrence Gitonga, 33, secured the short-term apartment on Friday. At 6:30 pm, he and a different woman entered the room, where they remained for most of the evening. The unidentified woman departed at 11 pm.
Shortly after her departure, Mr. Gitonga left as well, only to return to the same room with Mbula at 3 am. In contrast to the initial woman, Mbula did not exit the room through the door.
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Upon the next sighting of the man, he exhibited eight stab wounds – one on his back and the remaining seven on his chest. When discovered by the police, he had locked himself in a bathroom and was in evident pain. The officers had reached out to the owner of the room to obtain a spare key for access to the scene.
What Suspect Lawrence Gitonga Told Police
The suspect informed the police that he had secluded himself in the bathroom due to excessive bleeding, fearing potential fatality from the alleged stab wounds inflicted by Mbula.
During the early stages of police questioning, he remained unaware of Mbula's demise and even inquired about her whereabouts. His account to the police indicated that he recalled engaging in physical altercations, involving hitting and kicking the woman, who retaliated by stabbing him with a knife.
Upon realizing the severity of his bleeding, he hurriedly retreated to the bathroom, locking himself in, with no recollection of further events.
As of Monday, authorities informed the Nation that Mr. Gitonga continues to be their primary suspect in the death of Mbula, a student at the Nairobi Aviation College. Presently, he is recovering at the Kenyatta National Hospital under police supervision. Once he is deemed fit to leave the hospital, officers stated their intention to take him into custody to aid in ongoing investigations.
Initial crime scene investigations have so far revealed that there were only two people in the apartment when Mbula and the suspect engaged in a scuffle.
"Analysis by the crime scene investigators revealed that there were only two sets of footprints in the blood-soaked room," said a senior officer at Kasarani Police Station.
It remains unclear whether the deceased was pushed over the balcony of the 10-floor flat in Thome.
Detectives are also investigating whether she died by suicide or fell accidentally while trying to escape from something threatening her.
Her mysterious death adds to the list of several other young women who have died in short-stay apartments in the country.
Mbula was found partially unclothed after falling from the 10th floor, wearing only a red shirt when her body was recovered.
Witnesses in the vicinity reported hearing her screams for help from the balcony before the tragic incident.
Law enforcement authorities also observed that the deceased had no apparent external injuries.
As of Monday morning, no one had come forward to claim Mbula's body at City Mortuary. However, the Nation has learned that her parents provided statements at Kasarani Police Station on Monday afternoon and subsequently visited the mortuary to identify their daughter.
Additionally, the police disclosed that the deceased and Mr. Gitonga crossed paths at one of the entertainment establishments along Mirema Drive in Roysambu on Friday night.
Investigators are eager to uncover the details that a post-mortem examination will unveil regarding the cause of her death, aiming to establish the circumstances surrounding her demise.
