How chef lied about his girlfriend’s whereabouts after murdering her

The main suspect in the brutal murder of a woman whose body was found stashed in a suitcase in Ruiru last week lied to his girlfriend’s colleagues that she had quit her job.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have however obtained footage showing Morris Njuguna 28 carrying what is believed to be the body of his girlfriend Risper Ndunge in a sack on the fateful night on April 19 at about 9.35 pm.

Risper’s body was discovered at the gate to a rental building by tenants of Mitikenda within the Gatongora area of Ruiru.

Investigations have further revealed that the suspect, who was her lover, went back to the house carrying a sack that he had bought earlier in the day. After killing her, he placed the body in a travel suitcase before covering it with the sack.

He then carried the body, disguised as luggage and ferried it to the site where it was found about a kilometre away from where he was staying with his girlfriend. He dumped it and walked away.

The deceased who worked as a cashier at a busy nyama choma eatery located at Kamakis along the Eastern bypass, had moved in with his boyfriend five months ago. Njuguna also worked at the same establishment as a chef.

However, due to the nature of their duties, the man would be the first to arrive home before 10 pm, while the deceased would be dropped home later, usually at around 3 am. Nhuguna however grew suspicious of Risper’s timetable leading to tensions in the relationship.

On that fateful day, Risper arrived home at around 3 am and a fight ensued. Njuguna said that Ndunge died instantly after he hit her head against the wall. He told police that her death shocked him and he decided to stuff the body in a suitcase and dump it to escape arrest. He then put the suitcase in a white sack.  

“I tied up the sack’s opening with a string and set out to dump the body,” he said.

The next day when his colleagues asked him the whereabouts of his girlfriend, Njuguna said that she had quit his job and that they were planning to move to a new house.

Detectives based at DCI Ruiru who are investigating the case arrested Njuguna three days later, on April 21, and recorded statements from various witnesses.

They also arrested a second suspect Francis Chege, 32, in Mukuyu, Murang’a County, who was found in possession of the deceased’s phone. Chege who is a cousin to the main suspect claimed to have been given the phone by Njuguna.

The two were arraigned and the court granted the detectives 10 days to detain them as they complete investigations.