Headless Body Found Near River in Murang’a as Police Probe Two Separate Murders
On closer inspection, they found the body of an adult male in an advanced state of decomposition, without a head, and immediately alerted authorities.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Detectives in Murang’a County have launched investigations after the decomposed body of a man who had been missing for over two weeks was discovered near a river with his head missing.
The remains were identified as James Wanjau Gichohi, 34, a resident of Gitaimbuka Village in Githumu.
Police said members of the public stumbled upon the body on Monday evening while fetching firewood along the banks of the Irigiro River in Kigumo Sub-County. They were drawn to the spot by a strong stench coming from the thicket.
On closer inspection, they found the body of an adult male in an advanced state of decomposition, without a head, and immediately alerted authorities.
Officers visited the scene and retrieved the remains with help from locals. The victim was later positively identified by his cousin, who told police that Gichohi had disappeared on June 25, 2026, and a missing person report had been filed.
Crime Scene Investigators documented the scene before moving the body to AIC Githumu Mission Funeral Home morgue for preservation and post-mortem examination.
Police said the incident is being treated as murder. Investigations are underway to determine how he was killed, trace the whereabouts of the missing head, and apprehend the perpetrators. The motive remains unclear.
Second Case: Husband Arrested in Mathioya
In a separate incident in the same county, police have arrested a 55-year-old man in connection with the death of his wife, 27-year-old Edith Wangechi Wamboi.
According to a police report, officers from Nyakianga Police Station and DCI detectives based in Kiriaini were called to Kiriti Village in Gatunguru, Mathioya Sub-County, following reports of a suicide.
They found Wamboi’s body hanging from a rope inside her house.
However, preliminary investigations led detectives to suspect foul play. Police believe the woman was killed elsewhere in the house before her body was hanged to stage it as a suicide.
The husband has been named as the prime suspect in the case.
Police said the suspect was beaten by irate members of the public who had gathered at the scene before officers intervened and rescued him. He was taken to Kangema Sub-County Hospital for treatment and is now in police custody awaiting arraignment.
The scene was processed by CSI personnel, and the body was transferred to Kangema Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Both cases remain under active investigation. The suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Police have noted a recent uptick in murder cases across the country, with an average of up to eight cases reported daily as authorities step up investigations.
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