Around January this year, the family of Mr John Gakuru and his wife Ruth Njeri from Ol Rongai showed compassion to a 19-year-old who has turned out to surprise them five months later.

The teenager who came to their life as a trespasser became part of their family after they learnt of his pitiful story.

According to Mr Gakuru, Ezekiel Mwangi trespassed his farm while the family was working on it.

Concerned about him, his wife reprimanded him to tell her why he had decided to trespass a private property.

John Gakuru and Wife Ruth Njeri during an interview on August 19, 2024.

Photo credit: JOSEPH OPENDA/MTAA WANGU

However, a tired looking and emaciated young man respectfully explained that he was headed for the Olrongai Primary school to pick his leaving certificate so that he can proceed to the chief and apply for an ID card.

“He claimed to be homeless as his mother had passed on, father chased him from home while the brother in Nairobi did not want to see him. He also said that he had come from Naivasha on foot and wanted to get an ID so that he can look for a job,” says Mr Gakuru.

With compassion, the family offered him food and offered him a place to rest for the night before he can proceed to the Ol Rongai primary School where he claimed to have schooled.

The following day he went to the school but was denied the certificate. Mr Gakuru however, being a church elder called the chief and requested him to ask the school to facilitate the young adult. The chief did and Mwangi was given the certificate.

Thereafter, Mr Gakuru escorted the teenager to the chief to apply for the ID but after consultations and further interrogation, they learnt that the boy was interested in finishing his education as he aspired to become a journalist.

“I was ready to help him go back to school and the chief allowed me to do so. He looked promising and had even recorded himself reporting on some issues,” says Mr Gakuru.

He took the boy in and he became part of the family for at least five months.

In his first term at school, Mr Mwangi showed all signs of progress as he was respectful and obedient to the teachers who spoke well of him. He was also doing the same at home and the family felt their decision to take him in was a wise one.

However, things started changing during the second term when the parents were summoned to school over his unusual behaviour. Mwangi had been found with a knife and threatened to stab a female pupil at the school.

After the guardians’ intervention, the boy was given a last warning. However, a few days later the boy was suspended after he was caught with a fake pistol which he was threatening other pupils with.

He appeared remorseful but was too guilty for failing the family so he requested to be allowed to leave.

Mr Gakuru again took him to the chief and when the boy insisted on leaving they escorted him to London estate where they left him after giving him Sh 300. This was on August 13.

But a week later, the family was shocked to see the boy back at the compound. However, news of bizarre murders had spread all over the area and there were suspicions about him.

Mr Gakuru immediately informed the chief who organized for the police to come to the compound.

But when Mwangi saw the police and discovered they were looking for him he managed to escape and disappeared into a maize plantation.

They were shocked to learn that the person they had taken in as a son had been arrested a week later for the murder of at least four women.

Confirming the arrest on Monday, Rongai Sub County Police Commander Wilberforce Sicharani says the suspect was arrested on his way to Nakuru from Naivasha following a tip from the members of the public.

According to Mr Sicharani, the 19-year-old confessed to killing the women in a series of murders that began on July where he killed five-year-old Alice Ayuma.

Alice’s body was found dumped in a maize plantation. This incident took place in Rugongo Village within Menengai West Ward.

He also confessed to killing a cooperative bank manager Ms. Mueni Mwalimu three weeks later and dumped her body in yet another maize plantation.

Mueni who was a personal banker working with Cooperative Bank Nakuru Branch was last seen on August 6, when she left work to attend to a family emergency.

Mr Sicharani says the suspect confessed to mutilating her body two days later.

In the chilling confession, the man claims to have killed another woman Ms Moraa Mukami two days later. The fourth victim was also a woman who was found praying at the Menengai crater.

He is said to have hit her with a metal rod killing her instantly.

Police are now piecing together information to uncover the motive behind the killings.

“He said he was bitter with life after the death of his mother and the rejection he faced from his own family. We are however trying to explore the possibility of him being in a cultic sect because of the peculiar manner in which he conducted his murders,” said Mr Sicharani.

The suspect will be arraigned in Molo court today where Police are expected to seek more days to conclude investigations.

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Bret Sanya