Likoni widow arrested in disappearance, murder of husband

Crime Scene

Detectives in Mombasa want to know why Ms Anyango went missing that Saturday and resurfaced the day the body of her husband was discovered in their home.

Photo credit: File

A woman is in police custody on suspicion of killing her 55-year-old husband in Likoni, Mombasa County, after a domestic dispute.

The decomposing body of Becca Mwamburi was discovered on Monday in the couple’s house in Tonge Nyama, police said.

Village elder Abdallah Riziki Sudi reported the discovery at the Shelly Beach Police Station.

Police then detained the man’s wife, Ms Winnie Anyango, 28, who was detained to help with investigations into the death.

Ms Anyango told police that she had argued with her husband at the weekend.

She said “they had a family dispute on Saturday around 8pm when her lover fell and hit a stone which was on the floor,” a police report reads.

She told police she sought refuge at a friend’s house.

But detectives want to know why Ms Anyango went missing that Saturday and resurfaced the day the body of her husband was discovered in the couple’s home.

“The woman went missing for two to three days and resurfaced later on claiming she was the wife of the deceased man and that she had an argument with her husband. She was wearing a bloodstained T-shirt,” said a senior officer.

Bloodstains were also found all over the house, police said.

A machete with bloodstains that was suspected to be the murder weapon was seized.

The man’s body had deep cuts in the back of the neck. It was taken to the Coast General Hospital morgue for a postmortem.

Separately, bodaboda and tuktuk operators in Malindi, Kilifi County, have asked for CCTV cameras in the town to be fixed so as to help curb insecurity.

Malindi Bodaboda chairperson John Nzai urged the government to repair the cameras.

“We are heading towards the holiday festivities. We have seen there is rampant insecurity across the country. For our safety and those of our loved ones, it is important that the government take the matter seriously,” Mr Nzai said.

They also proposed that CCTV cameras be installed in crime hotspots.

“The criminal gangs have moved to paint a bad picture of bodaboda operators. What people do not understand is that we are also their victims,” Mr Nzai added. 

“Aside from attacking and robbing us, they also steal our motorcycles and use them to conduct their illegal activities.”

His sentiments were supported by Malindi tuktuk operators’ chairman Abdalla Mwangi.

“If those cameras are set up, we will also do our work smoothly because it will show us that security is taken seriously in our towns,” Mr Mwangi said.