- Muendo’s family received a ransom demand after her gruesome murder in Nairobi
- The student’s dismembered body was found in an Airbnb, head missing
- A foreign national was arrested, yet uncertainty surrounds his link to the crime
The family of 20-year-old Rita Waeni Muendo, whose dismembered body was discovered at an Airbnb residence in Nairobi’s Roysambu area, has disclosed harrowing details about her brutal murder.
The late Rita Waeni Muendo
According to Muendo’s family, she left her aunt’s residence in Syokimau to meet a friend, and around 5 am on Sunday, her father received a ransom demand of Ksh. 500,000 within 24 hours for the release of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student. The family promptly reported the matter to the police and the DCI, initiating investigations.
The family statement revealed, “Unfortunately, the family did not get further details about the ransom or an opportunity to explore this route. Additionally, some demands were made when she had already been murdered.”
The gruesome discovery of Muendo’s body parts, concealed in a trash bag in the apartment, was made by the caretaker on Sunday, with her head notably missing.
“We believe she was lured by her killer, who also tried to extort money from her family, even after killing her,” the family emphasized.
Describing Muendo as an “intelligent, smart girl beyond her age at the very start of her youth,” known for kindness and laughter, the family mourned the loss of a vibrant young woman about to enter her fourth year of university.
As detectives continue the search for Muendo’s head and personal belongings, including clothes and a mobile phone, a male foreign national was apprehended at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Tuesday.
The suspect, traveling with a Mozambican passport, was intercepted before boarding a plane after raising suspicions. He underwent interrogation at the airport and was subsequently transferred to Kasarani Police Station pending identification.
However, authorities are yet to confirm whether the detained individual is the suspect captured on CCTV obtaining the keys to the rental apartment where the victim’s dismembered body was discovered. The investigation into this horrific incident remains ongoing.
