THIKA, KIAMBU COUNTY – In a case that has shaken residents of Thika to the core, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Directorate have arrested a man believed to be behind the brutal murders of two young women in a span of two weeks.
The suspect, Samuel King’ara Kimani, was taken into custody on April 14, 2025, in the Dry area of Ngomongo following intense investigations by a joint team of homicide detectives and local police.
The horror began on March 17, 2025, when 22-year-old Rosemary Njeri Ndekei disappeared shortly after heading to Thika town to shop for clothes. Her sudden disappearance led her family and boyfriend to file a missing person report at Thika Police Station. The following day, a decomposing body of a young woman was found in a coffee plantation in the Karibaribi area. With no identification on her, the body was taken to General Kago Mortuary.
On March 19, Rosemary’s family identified the body. A post-mortem confirmed she had died from manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head—gruesome signs of a violent end.
Barely two weeks later, on March 31, 2025, 20-year-old Hellen Wambui Ndung’u, a student at Gituamba Vocational Training College, went missing after being sent by her mother to purchase groceries at Ngorongo Trading Centre. Just like Rosemary, her body was found the next day, partially buried in a bush. Although there were no visible injuries, she was quickly identified by local residents.
Investigators drew chilling parallels between the two murders. In both cases, the victims were last seen alive near isolated paths and later found dead in coffee plantations. Forensic evidence and the application of the Exchange Principle led detectives to King’ara, who is now the prime suspect.
Authorities allege that King’ara targeted the women in secluded areas, where he sexually assaulted and murdered them before fleeing into hiding. He was arraigned on April 16, 2025, and detectives were granted custodial orders to finalize investigations.
The community now watches closely as the justice system works to bring closure to the families of the victims and ensure that such heinous crimes do not go unpunished.
Category: Crime & JusticeTags: Thika, Kiambu, Serial Killer, Homicide, DCI, Crime News, Kenya
