Blood and Grief: Kenya's Most Shocking Murder Cases of 2024

In 2024, Kenya has witnessed a series of unsettling criminal activities that have shaken the country.

These incidents are reflective of a rising trend in violence that has captured national attention and elicited widespread concern. The year’s most shocking event occurred in July, when authorities discovered multiple mutilated bodies in an abandoned quarry located in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Nairobi. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) director general, Mohamed Amin, confirmed that eight bodies, wrapped in sacks, were found dumped in the quarry.

This grim revelation emerged following the anti-finance bill protests that gripped the nation in June. Investigative efforts led to the arrest of a prime suspect, providing some measure of relief to the affected families as they navigated their grief. In August and September, the murder of marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei by her former partner drew significant media attention.

Cheptegei, who suffered severe burns after being attacked with acid, succumbed to her injuries at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret at the age of 33. Tragically, her husband also died a week later while receiving treatment at the same facility. This incident reignited discussions on domestic violence and its devastating impact on victims and their families.

Earlier in the year, in January, the brutal murder of 20-year-old Rita Waeni, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT), shocked the nation. Her dismembered body was found in a short-let apartment in Roysambu, Nairobi, hidden inside polyethylene bags. Subsequent investigations led to the apprehension of two suspects, and authorities recovered several items, including a knife believed to be linked to the crime.

The investigation into the murder of Wells Fargo manager Willis Ayieko in October added yet another layer of complexity to this year’s crime narratives. Ayieko was killed after attending a funeral in Nyamninia Village, Siaya County. His body, showing signs of trauma, was located at the Kakamega and Siaya counties border. The DCI launched an extensive manhunt resulting in multiple arrests and the eventual fatal shootings of some suspects during the ensuing operations.

Furthermore, in October, a disturbing femicide case emerged involving three women of Somali descent, including a mother and her two daughters, who were abducted and subsequently murdered by a suspected Ethiopian assailant. The trio went missing on October 21, with their bodies later discovered across different locations, each bearing similar injuries. Investigators traced the victims' last known locations to Eastleigh, indicating a pattern linked to a network of criminal activity.