As you approach Hillview estate, one would truly understand why this estate was given such a name. With a breath-taking view from the top part, the estate is located in the larger Kiamunyi estate now dotted with upcoming apartments.

The residents of this tranquil estate, now grapple with fear, as a lifeless body was found in their secluded neighbourhood, transforming this quiet retreat into a scene of unsettling mystery.

Upon arrival at the scene of crime, we get to meet a large group of people standing and looking in disbelief at the body of a 22-year-old girl that had been dumped in one of the maize plantations in the estate.

In the midst of the large crowd, we notice a young girl who after laying eyes on the body, slowly goes and stands a distance away in seclusion from everyone else.

Police cordon off maize plantation where body of 22 year old was found in Kiamunyi on October 14, 2024.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

We approach the young girl, who had folded her arms as if clutching herself from the fears of the horrors she had just witnessed.

Upon enquiry, she tells us her name is Joan Nyaboke, and that she lives with her parents in one of the houses on the other side of the estate.

“You often get to watch such stories on television and you can never relate, but when you get to experience it first-hand it is very scary. This has really scared me. It could have been any one of us. The hand bag at the scene looks identical to the one I have. Nasikia sijui aje” she says visibly shaken.

Nyaboke highlights how she is just a year older than the victim and how she very much relates to the incident being a university student.

“I go to the University of Nairobi and just a few days back, another woman in our campus was murdered and her body dumped. I had decided to come home to relax for a few days, as the murder really got me shook, only to be met by this incident” she laments.

Brighton Roman is the one who spotted the body of the deceased.

Initially, he says he thought she was simply taking a nap after a long day’s work. However, when he called out, there was no response, raising his suspicions.

His curiosity was piqued and he went to inquire from a woman who had been working nearby is she had noticed the young lady lying in the grass.

The woman told Brighton that she had not seen anyone. That was when Brighton, the woman and another herder who was with his cattle nearby approached to see if the lady was alright.

“We tried waking her up but there was no response. The herder informed us that he had spotted a bag which had been hanging in a tree a few meters from the scene. He thought that it belonged to someone in the farm. We informed others who were working in a construction site and before long the police were informed,” he says.

Rongai subcounty Kiamunyi location senior chief Wilson Maraga says that a bus receipt found in her possession shows that the deceased boarded a 2NK matatu on Saturday from Thika to Nakuru County.

This incident comes barely a month after two women and a five-year-old girl were found murdered in Rongai sub county.

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Author Spotlight

Bret Sanya