A 29-year-old Kenyan man has been arrested after police discovered he was carrying the mutilated body parts of his 19-year-old wife in his backpack while they patrolled Huruma, a district east of Nairobi.
According to a statement from Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers stopped John Kiama Wambua just before dawn after they noticed suspicious behavior.
Police initially suspected he was carrying illegal possessions. However, after officers searched his backpack, they found mind-boggling human body parts and it led them to arrest him.
READ ALSO: This mother of 3 is behind Atlanta’s fastest-growing workplace culture consulting firm
During interrogation, Wambua admitted the remains belonged to his wife, Joy Fridah Munani. The DCI described him as “unperturbed” by the discovery.
He later led police to his home, where officers found additional body parts underneath a bed, along with a knife and some clothes soaked in blood.
Authorities have described the crime as “heinous” and confirmed that Wambua will face murder charges in an upcoming court hearing, as per a BBC report.
Kenya has one of the highest rates of femicide in Africa, with gender-based killings often making headlines. Between August and October 2024, a minimum of about 97 women were murdered, according to Kenya’s National Police Service.
READ ALSO: Georgia father of 3 dies from heart attack after scaring armed thugs off his property
In recent years, several high-profile cases have gone on to draw national and international attention. In September 2024, Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei was killed by her former partner after being set on fire in her home.
Her former partner also passed away after being affected by the fires at the time.
Again in the early months of 2024, widespread outrage erupted after the brutal murder of Rita Waeni, who was dismembered and stuffed into a plastic bag at a rental apartment.
Then in December last year, hundreds of women protested against the growing wave of femicides, marching through Nairobi’s streets, where police reportedly fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
READ ALSO: Lamar Odom reveals reason he and Khloé Kardashian reconnected after 11-year breakup
The ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in Kenya has left many citizens demanding perpetrators be brought to Justice, also calling for stronger protections for women.
