Two Bodies Found Decomposing in Nairobi Houses After Neighbours Report Foul Smell
According to police, the landlord went to the apartment at about 1 p.m. after receiving complaints from neighbours about a sharp smell emanating from the room.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Detectives are investigating two separate incidents in which decomposing bodies were discovered inside locked houses in Nairobi on Thursday, after neighbours raised alarm over foul smells coming from the residences.
In the first incident, police said the body of a 32-year-old woman was found inside her apartment in Dagoretti.
The deceased was identified as Mercy Wachiga Maina. Police said her body was discovered on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
According to police, the landlord went to the apartment at about 1 p.m. after receiving complaints from neighbours about a sharp smell emanating from the room.
Officers who responded to the scene found the door locked from the inside. They forced it open and found Maina’s body lying on the bed in a decomposed state.
Inside the room, officers also recovered a jiko containing burnt charcoal.
Personnel from the Scenes of Crime unit processed and documented the scene before the body was moved to the City Mortuary, where it was preserved pending an autopsy to establish the cause and circumstances of death.
Police said they are investigating all possible circumstances surrounding the death, including whether it was a case of suicide, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, or foul play.
A burning charcoal jiko in a poorly ventilated room can produce carbon monoxide, an odourless and colourless gas that is dangerous when inhaled in enclosed spaces. Health officials have repeatedly warned against using jikos inside closed rooms, especially during sleep, because poisoning can occur without warning.
In a second incident on the same day, police in Kasarani reported the discovery of a man’s body inside his house in Mabatini.
The deceased was identified as Victor Musyoka Kimuyu. Police said he had not been seen for about two days before his body was found on Thursday evening.
According to a police report, a caretaker was pumping water within the compound at about 8:33 p.m. when a tenant alerted him to an unusual odour coming from one of the houses.
Police officers accompanied by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Crime Scene Investigation team went to the house and found the door locked from inside, with a foul smell coming from within.
With the help of the caretaker and a neighbour, officers broke into the house and found Kimuyu’s body lying on his bed. Police said no visible injuries were observed on the body at the scene.
The scene was documented by the Kasarani Crime Scene team before the body was transferred to the City Mortuary for preservation and postmortem examination.
Police said investigations into both incidents are ongoing, with autopsies expected to establish the exact cause of death.
Authorities have urged members of the public to promptly alert local administrators or police when neighbours go missing or when unusual smells are detected in residential areas, to enable quick response.
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