Njoro, Nakuru County, July 18, 2025 — A grim scene has shocked residents of Rumwe Farm Estate after the body of 90-year-old Salome Wairimu Kanyinge was discovered in a decomposing state inside her kitchen. Authorities have launched a full homicide investigation amid rising concerns over attacks targeting elderly Kenyans.
Disturbing Discovery in Nakuru
Neighbours found the elderly woman’s lifeless body on Wednesday, July 17, after she had not been seen for several days. Concerned for her wellbeing, they forced open her one-roomed kitchen and were met with a horrific scene.
“She lived alone. The house looked like it had been ransacked. There are signs of a violent struggle,” said a police officer close to the investigation.
Signs of Brutality and Possible Robbery
Police at the scene noted that Salome’s head was wrapped in a white manila sack and pinned between two large stones. A cloth was tied tightly around her neck, suggesting strangulation.
The area around her head was blood-soaked, raising suspicions of blunt force trauma or other forms of lethal assault. Although robbery is being considered a motive, no confirmed list of missing valuables has been released.
Her body has since been moved to Egerton University Funeral Home for postmortem.
DCI Investigation Underway
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched a probe and is urging locals with any information to come forward. Police are combing the crime scene for forensic clues and reviewing nearby CCTV footage if available. Local residents voiced fear and frustration over the attack. Many claim the area suffers from infrequent patrols and a lack of visible policing, particularly in neighbourhoods where older citizens live alone.
Rising Threats Against the Elderly
This case adds to a disturbing trend in Nakuru County and other regions, where elderly citizens living alone have become frequent targets of violent crime, including robbery and land-related attacks.
DCI Kenya has raised alarms about these patterns, especially in rural and peri-urban zones where security infrastructure is weak.
For insight into how the DCI handles such cases, read: National Police Service Crime Procedures
