How former pastor used hired thugs to kill his wife

Crime scene


Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The couple, who have two children, are said to have had a troubled marriage.
  • Victim's family are demanding justice and having the killers brought to book.

Police in Kisii are holding a former SDA pastor who allegedly hired thugs who killed his wife on Thursday over love messages on her phone before he surrendered himself to the police.

This comes barely a week after another incident in the county, in which a man attacked his ex-wife with machete, slashing her legs and hands in the region. The victim is responding well to treatment in a local hospital, the Nation has established.

According to residents of Keragia village in Bomachoge Chache Constituency, Mr Joel Mogaka, 38, hired men who strangled his wife Ms Esther Nyambusi.

"We were informed by their house girl that the suspect hired goons who killed the wife after he found love texts on her phone. He narrated that when he realised that his wife had passed on, he took her to a mortuary using his car” said Ms Beatrice Kwamboka, a resident.

According to the couple's househelp, on the material day, Mr Mogaka arrived home at around 4pm in the company of two men. He directed them to a cereal store near the gate before going back to his business.

When Ms Esther arrived home from school at around 5pm, the two men accosted her and took him to the store. All this time the househelp was watching from a distance.

When she tried to raise an alarm, the hooded assailants ordered her to go back to the main house and shut up. They are said to have strangled the 32-year-old woman before leaving using a motorbike.

Troubled marriage

Later Mogaka came back and took his wife's dead body to Christamarianne Mission Hospital Mortuary. 

The couple, who have two children, are said to have had a troubled marriage.

Mr Mogaka was an SDA pastor at Nyanchwa station but he was later suspended after he was accused of defiling a minor. He then went into business and he had been supplying maize in the region.

Confirming the incident, Kisii County Police Commander Jebel Monene said the suspect surrendered himself to the police after the incident.

“Where did people take good morals? Hearts of humanity?" posed the police boss paused, who said the suspect will be arraigned in court on Monday.

Preliminary investigations indicate that body of the slain woman had visible injuries on her hands and strangulation marks.

The family, through Nyambusi's elder sister, Ruth Nyakara, are demanding justice and having the killers brought to book.