Police in Kirinyaga County have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of 22-year-old student Jackline Waruguru Kathuri in Gichugu.
Kirinyaga East Sub-County Police Commander Johnson Wachira confirmed that Waruguru was reported missing on November 16 at the Kiamutugu Police Station. According to Wachira, investigators have linked three individuals to the killing.
“One suspect is from Runyenjes in Embu County, while two others come from Kiamutugu in Gichugu,” he said.
Waruguru’s mutilated body was discovered on the evening of November 22, 2025, inside a coffee plantation at Ngotho, Ngiriambu village—a week after she disappeared.
Her family, led by her father Moses Kiura, had been searching for her since the day she vanished. Their search ended tragically when her decomposed and severely disfigured remains were found. Waruguru was a first-year Human Resource student at Embu College, and the brutality of the murder has left Gichugu residents in shock.
“We are demanding the arrest of those behind this inhuman act,” her father said during a burial ceremony in Kamagambo village. Students and administrators from Embu College also attended to pay their respects.
A postmortem conducted by pathologist Dr. Peter Williams at the Kerugoya Mortuary revealed that Waruguru died of strangulation. Her remains showed extensive decomposition, including the loss of the right hand, one breast, and significant damage to internal organs.
Police say the investigation is ongoing as they work to uncover the full motive and circumstances behind the killing.
