How Dating Apps and Short-Term Rentals Are Driving a Deadly Trend in Kenya

Kenya is reporting a rise in killings linked to short-term rental apartments, with investigators tracing many of the cases to encounters arranged through social media and dating platforms.

A pattern has emerged across several Nairobi neighbourhoods, where strangers meet online, book private short-stay units, and the locations later become crime scenes. Police have documented cases involving stabbing, strangling, and dismemberment, often carried out by individuals who use digital anonymity and limited oversight in rental properties to conceal their identities. 

Recent incidents include the death of a young man who fell from a 14th-floor Kilimani apartment after meeting someone online, and the discovery of a 20-year-old woman’s body in Utawala. The January 2024 killing of socialite Starlet Wahu in South B, allegedly by a man she met on the internet, underscored how quickly online interactions can turn dangerous.

Several investigations have moved into high-profile trials shaped by digital evidence. The case against Hashim Dagane, accused of killing four women in October 2024, relies on CCTV recordings showing him leaving a Lavington apartment with bags later linked to remains recovered at Lang’ata Cemetery. 

In the separate prosecution of John Ong’oa for Wahu’s killing, phone data and forensic records have helped investigators reconstruct the victim’s movements. Courts are increasingly assessing WhatsApp messages, location information, and payment histories, though defence teams continue to question their authenticity and handling. 

A ruling in Eldoret confirmed that phone data and CCTV footage, when supported by witness accounts, can satisfy the standard of proof required for conviction. Regulatory gaps have complicated the response. Kenya’s expanding short-term rental market, driven by platforms such as Airbnb and local operators, allows many properties to be booked under false names or paid for in cash. 

Some hosts keep minimal records, limiting the ability of police to track suspects or verify guest information. Government agencies have introduced guidelines requiring guest identification, registration, and stronger security measures, including CCTV, but rights groups note that enforcement remains limited. 

Property owners argue that they cannot conduct background checks beyond basic verification and stress the economic importance of the sector. Gender-based risks are also evident. Studies show that women face the greatest danger in offences linked to dating apps, while LGBTQ+ users encounter threats of coercion, blackmail, and exposure.