Naftali Kinuthia killed Ivy Wangechi due to rejection: police

Detectives investigating the gruesome murder of Moi University medical Student Ivy Wangechi on Wednesday pointed to frustration on the part of the attacker, Naftali Njahi Kinuthia.

Mr Kinuthia, 28, killed 25-year-old Wangechi at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) on Tuesday, using an axe and a knife, after scaring away people who could have rescued her.

The victim's friends said Mr Kinuthia, Ms Wangechi's former schoolmate, had been obsessed with her.

And in an address to reporters, Eldoret East DCI chief Ali Kingi said, “We interrogated the suspect who is recuperating at the hospital. He admitted that he killed the student due to rejection."

"He claimed he invested a lot in the girl but that she did not reciprocate his kindness and financial support."

BRIEF MEETING

Mr Kingi said Mr Kinuthia and Ms Wangechi had communicated consistently.

Detectives also said the man had sent money several times to the student who had been in her sixth year of study.

They also said he had visited Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on several occasions and that he had also sent money for Ms Wangechi's birthday party which was to take place later in the week.

It was said the situation took a turn on Friday after Mr Kinuthia visited Ms Wangechi at her place of work in Eldoret; they met briefly but she later did not answer his calls.

“The suspect told us that they met briefly but didn’t talk much as the lady was still engaged at work and was still wearing her dust coat. They promised to talk later as the suspect travelled back to Nairobi," Mr Kingi said.

"She did not pick his calls thereafter, which infuriated Mr Kinuthia."

ANOTHER TRIP

Mr Kingi said the missed calls prompted the attacker to travel again from Thika to Eldoret to establish the reason.

“He said the lady switched off her phone at some point. He said the anger prompted him to kill the student," the officer said.

"He will give us the full details when he recovers from the injuries he sustained after being beaten up by an irate mob."

Mr Kingi said the suspect told them that he worked at a betting firm in Nairobi.

Mr Kinuthia is said to have taken a motorcycle to a hardware shop in Eldoret, where he bought the weapons he used.

He reportedly had the knife sharpened before heading to the hospital on a mission to kill.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

Mr Kingi said the suspect will be interrogated further when he recovers and that he will be arraigned on murder charges.

According to the officer, Ms Wangechi’s parents knew Mr Kinuthia as he had been a family friend for a long time.

The two were childhood friends.

Ms Wangechi's parents were expected in Eldoret later on Wednesday for the post mortem.