This archive report was first published on 14 January 2020.
On January 6, 2020, a brutal murder shook the community of Endau in Kitui East, where a female primary teacher, Daisy Mbathe Mbaluka, was waylaid, slashed to death with machetes, and her body burned to ashes. The incident has led to a series of arrests and court proceedings.
Recently, six more suspects, including Lawrence Mbindi Ndolo, the husband of the slain teacher, were arraigned in a Kitui court. The others are Amos Jacob Kithikii, Mutiso Mulwa, Nzangi Mulwa, Rachael Nzangi Mutiso, and Martha Kisilu.
The arrests bring the total number of suspects being held over the teacher's killing to eight, following the arraignment of two other suspects, Wambua Mwangangi and Chris Kyalo Muli, in court last Thursday.
According to reports, the suspects were arrested over the weekend in connection with the murder. The lead detective probing the murder, Bernard Jeffa, had sworn an application by the CID seeking to detain the suspects as persons of interest at different police stations for 21 days to assist with investigations and prevent interference with the ongoing murder probe.
Kitui Chief Magistrate Stephen Mbungi ordered that the six suspects be detained at Kabati, Mbitini, and Endau police stations for the next 21 days pending the conclusion of police investigation to facilitate trial.
