Image: Courtesy
Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor, after conducting an autopsy at City Mortuary in Nairobi, disclosed that Rita Waeni Muendo, a murdered university student, was strangled and subsequently decapitated.
Oduor conveyed the key findings, stating, "The head had been chopped off from the neck at the level of C5 (vertebrae on the neck). There was bruising on the scalp caused by a blunt object. We also saw some fractures on bones. I can comfortably conclude that the cause of death was strangulation after which she was decapitated and her body dumped."
The family positively identified the recovered human head based on her forehead, hair, and teeth formation, leading to the decision to conduct an autopsy.
This procedure aimed to uncover the circumstances surrounding her death on January 13 at an apartment in Roysambu, Nairobi, following an earlier examination on other body parts.
Detectives suspect that Waeni's murder may be linked to an ongoing trend of occultism in the country, considering it as a potential motive for this heinous act.
An officer involved in the investigation noted, "It looks like a ritual, which I think was motivated by a cult-like belief."
The investigation team is actively exploring if there are more similar killings associated with occult practices.
Waeni's dismembered body was found in a dustbin at an apartment on TRM Drive, Kasarani, with her head missing.
The head, later identified by her family, was wrapped in a purple female blouse and placed in a green carrier bag with a stone.
On January 21, two Nigerians were arrested in connection with the murder, and various items, including a hatchet, butcher's knife, a national identity card, six mobile phones, three laptops, and 10 SIM cards from different telecom providers, were recovered during the arrest at their residence.
