NAIROBI, KENYA — A disturbing incident in Kenya has brought the country’s ongoing struggle with femicide into sharp focus. Police in Huruma, a district near Nairobi, apprehended a 29-year-old man, John Kiama Wambua, who was found carrying the dismembered remains of his 19-year-old wife in his backpack.
The arrest occurred during a routine patrol just before dawn. Officers, suspicious of Wambua’s demeanor, searched his bag and made the grim discovery, according to a statement from Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Wambua reportedly confessed that the remains belonged to his wife, Joy Fridah Munani, and appeared remarkably unfazed by the situation.
Further investigation led officers to Wambua’s residence, where they uncovered additional body parts concealed under a bed, along with a knife and blood-soaked clothing.
The DCI has condemned the crime as “heinous” and confirmed that Wambua will face murder charges in court.
This tragic event is not an isolated incident. Kenya is grappling with alarmingly high rates of femicide – the intentional killing of women because they are women.
Data from Kenya’s National Police Service indicates that at least 97 women were murdered between August and October of the previous year.
Public outcry over these brutal crimes has been growing. In December, hundreds of women marched in Nairobi to protest the escalating violence against women, only to be met with tear gas by police.
Several high-profile cases have further highlighted the severity of the problem. In September 2024, Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei was tragically killed by her former partner after being set on fire.
In July, police arrested Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, suspected of being a serial killer responsible for the deaths of nine women whose bodies were found in a quarry.
Khalusha later escaped custody and remains at large. Earlier that year, the brutal murder of Rita Waeni, whose dismembered body was found in a plastic bag at a short-term rental apartment, sparked widespread condemnation.
These cases underscore the urgent need for action to address the root causes of gender-based violence in Kenya.
