Police seek boda boda rider who ‘killed’ friend in suspected ritual

Police in Kirinyaga are looking for a boda boda rider suspected of killing his friend and disposing of his body in a septic tank.

Residents of the sprawling Murinduko village were shocked after finding the decomposing body.

In what was suspected to be a 'ritual' sacrifice, Stephen Murimi, 31, was brutally killed and his remains thrown into the tank at the suspect's home. The tank was then covered with earth possibly to cover up the evidence.

And on Thursday evening, a cloud of sorrow hung over the village as police exhumed the body of the victim, who was a waiter.

When the decomposing body was finally brought to the surface, residents fled in panic while others wept uncontrollably.

The body was neatly wrapped in a bedsheet, raising suspicion that he was hacked to death as he slept in the suspect’s house.

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A search of the house yielded items that belonged to the victim, including a pair of shoes, a jacket and underwear, which were found in the bedroom.

Murimi’s family members said he was lured to his death last week.
They said he was working in Chuka as a waiter when the suspect allegedly called him last Friday and asked him to quit the job and return home so that they could together start a beer business that he said paid more.

He reportedly lied to an unsuspecting Murimi that he had acquired 'a lot' of money and that he had even bought a personal car. The suspect promised to give Murimi his motorcycle to run errands for the beer business.

Impressed by the idea, Murimi set out to meet the suspect, unaware that a death trap had been set for him.

On arrival, Murimi alerted family members in the neighbouring Kirogo village that he was at his friend's home and that he would visit them soon.

Something was wrong

Family members suspected that something was wrong when Murimi failed to show up as promised. On Thursday they decided to check on him at the suspect's house but he was not there.

They asked the suspect to disclose Murimi’s whereabouts but he declined and took off.

Shocked, family members reported the matter to members of Nyumba Kumi, who started looking for Murimi in the suspect’s compound.

They spotted fresh soil on the septic tank and called in the police.

When the police scooped out the soil, they found a body and pulled it out as family members and hundreds of residents watched in disbelief.

"Before the gruesome killing, the suspect and the victim were bosom buddies and they used to visit each other often," said David Njeru, an uncle of Murimi.

Residents believed the suspect was a member of a cult and that he "could have sacrificed his friend to please the spirits of his gods".

"The suspect's lifestyle had suddenly changed. He had been living a luxurious life in his posh home and we suspect he had joined a cult which forced him to get rid of his friend as a ritual," one resident said.
Mwea East sub-county Police Commander Daniel Kitavi said officers were looking for the suspect, who is also a stonemason.

"The suspect has gone into hiding and we are hunting him down," he said.

Mr Kitavi said it appeared the victim succumbed to injuries after he was hit with a blunt object on the head.

Mr Kitavi said the matter was being treated as murder and a capital charge will be preferred against the suspect.

Police are also trying to establish the motive of the killing and whether the suspect was a member of a cult.

Suspect is punished

Family members appealed to the police to ensure the suspect is punished.

"We are crying for justice and the police should do everything possible and bring the culprit to book," said Mr Dennis Muriithi, a cousin of Murimi.

Murimi's mother, Florence Njeri, said she learnt of the demise of her son with great shock.

"I didn't believe that my son was dead until I saw his body," a sobbing Ms Njeri said.

Albert Gicobi, an elder, described the suspect as a quiet and smart person who kept to himself.

"The suspect was a humble person who normally dressed well but his lifestyle, which didn't match the work he did, surprised many," Mr Gicobi said.

Evan Kariuki, another elder, said he was among the people who discovered where Murimi's body had been dumped.

"I'm a friend of the deceased man’s family and I was among those who spotted the ‘grave’,” he said.

The suspect's mother said she knew her son as a person who would not even hurt a fly.

"My son grew up as a good and obedient person. He was also a churchgoer and never quarrelled with anyone, and when I heard that he had killed someone I didn't believe it," she told reporters.

She said her son lived alone in a stone house he built on a plot he bought long ago.

"My son worked hard as a boda boda rider and managed to build a comfortable house for himself," she said.