Police on Jennifer Wambua’s money trail in bid to crack case
What you need to know:
- Detectives have failed to link Ms Wambua’s activities at work to her disappearance and subsequent murder.
- DCI sources said the pace of investigations has given them confidence that they will be able to charge key suspects in the case.
Detectives hunting for the killers of former National Lands Commission (NLC) communications director Jennifer Wambua are focusing on people who received money from her as they battle to crack the case.
This is after they failed to link Ms Wambua’s activities at work to her disappearance and subsequent murder.
Detectives hope to wrap up the investigations into case by end of this week and charge the suspects. The period they were granted by the court to hold three suspects is set to expire on Friday.
Ms Wambua’s body was found in a thicket on March 15, three days after she was reported missing.
Although no one at NLC has been marked as a suspect yet, there has been a flurry of activities at the agency’s offices, with investigators requesting for information.
“The DCI requested for certain information and they have been provided with everything they have asked for,” said a source at the commission. Ms Wambua received large sums of money from NLC from last year up to the last week before she disappeared in March.
Monies in question
It has emerged that the monies in question were imprests for various activities related to the launch of NLC’s Strategic Plan 2021-2026 that happened on March 5.
The money that she was given ahead of the strategic plan launch was withdrawn before the day of the strategic plan launch.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i was the chief guest at the event in March, where he announced the revocation of firearm licenses of MPs who were involved in the election violence during the by-elections in Matungu, Kabuchai and London Ward, Nakuru.
This week, Kiambu Chief Magistrate Patricia Gichohi granted DCI detectives investigating the matter more time to hold Mr Peter Mwangi, the third suspect, in order to complete their investigations.
Detectives had asked for 14 days, which were granted until April 26 when the orders will be reviewed.
The other two suspects are Mr Peter Njenga alias Sankale, Mr Benjamin Saitoti and Mr David Sempuan.
Crucial suspect
Mr Mwangi, a businessman, is believed to be a crucial suspect in the case and amongst the last person seen with the deceased on the location where her body was later discovered in Ngong.
The other two are a boda-boda rider and a herder who were amongst the people spotted at the scene when the body was found.
The two were arraigned last Friday where detectives were allowed to hold them for two weeks.
Sources at the DCI told Nation that the pace of investigations has given them confidence that they will be able to charge key suspects in the case.
At the time of her murder, Ms Wambua was the acting director of corporate communications at NLC.
Detectives have been on the trail of a pastor said to have been receiving significant sums of money from Ms Wambua in the months leading to her murder.