Why Was Kenyan Blogger and Businesswoman Peris Mugera Murdered?

Businesswoman and political blogger Peris Mugera vanished from her rented house in Tharaka Nithi County last week.

Her children, aged 15 and 6, witnessed her departure, unaware it would be their final goodbye. Mugera had assured them of a return that evening after meeting a friend and attending to work elsewhere. A Facebook post on February 25 at 3:04 pm hinted at Mugera's physical distress. "My body aches, it feels like my flesh is in pain. Does anyone have a remedy?" she wrote. Tragically, her body was discovered later, unidentified, along the Makutano-Sagana Highway in Kirinyaga County.

Authorities were able to confirm Mugera's identity through social media efforts. A police report and Mugera's photo had circulated on various platforms, leading to her recognition by relatives and friends. Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner Mr Wesley Koech suspects foul play. He believes Mugera was murdered sometime between her departure from home and the discovery of her body by passersby on the morning of March 1.

News of Mugera's disappearance reached the authorities on March 1 after her children notified the landlord on Saturday evening. The landlord, unable to reach Mugera by phone, contacted her friends who then alerted the police. Investigations revealed that Mugera's phone signal was last detected at 2 am on Friday in Kathoge, Kirinyaga County. The phone has been inactive since then. The Rukanga Police Post under Kiamacira Police Station in Mwea West Sub-county received the murder report. Police officers, including those from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), arrived at the scene and found Mugera's body with injuries to the forehead. Mr Koech assures the public that a thorough investigation is underway to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure they face legal consequences.

This tragedy follows the death of Mugera's employer Mr Gitari Mbiuki just eight months prior. Mbiuki, whose Tharaka Nithi gubernatorial bid was unsuccessful, died by suicide in July 2023. He was found with a gunshot wound to the head on Mati Road in Kanganga, Embu County. Police investigations concluded it was a self-inflicted injury. Mugera was not only a colleague of Mbiuki but also employed by his charitable organization, the Gitari Mbiuki Foundation. Mbiuki, a former politician and entrepreneur who previously served as the Machakos County Assembly clerk, established the foundation.

The news of Mugera's murder coincides with the ongoing trial for the murder of Daniel Muthiani, a political blogger from Meru County known as "Snipper." Muthiani disappeared last December and was later found hidden in the dense vegetation of Tharaka Nithi County's Mutonga River.