Autopsy reveals what killed pastor at Kikuyu singer Dishon Mirugi's home

A family in Kayole, Nairobi County, is appealing for justice following the mysterious death of their daughter at the home of pastor and musician Dishon Mirugi in Kahawa West.

The family of the late Pastor Elizabeth Wanjiru claims that she had complained of receiving threats from the man of God whom she had loaned Ksh.700,000 to start his church with a promise to pay back.

The late Wanjiru went missing on Friday after she informed her sister that she was going to Mirugi's house to ask for her cash, only for them to receive a report from police that she had been found dead.

Tabitha Mwihaki is now a mother in pain, with the loss of her first-born child Wanjiru too much to bear. The family has raised doubts over claims that their kin committed suicide and say she had confided in them that she was being threatened by Mirugi.

Esther Mugure, Wanjiru's sister, said: "Ikiwa mwezi wa December aliweza kuniita kutoka Isinya nikuje Nairobi akanifahamisha kwamba alikuwa anapokea threats kutoka kwa Dishon Mirugi ambaye ni mwimbaji na ni pastor pia mwenzake...message zilikuwa zinasema ukiendelea kunidai pesa yako nitakumaliza na mimi ni untouchable.”

The deceased’s mother Mwihaki said: "Mtoto aliniambia mum pesa yangu imepotea... nikamwambia aende police station ya huko aripoti.”

The threats could see Wanjiru make reports at Juja Police Station and Kiamumbi Police Post after the suspect allegedly traced her movements.

It was not until Friday that the late told her sister that she had made up her mind to go collect her cash at Mirugi's house in Kahawa West as she was cash-strapped and had to repay loans.

"Alinipigia simu masaa ya saa saba akaniambia dadangu ile siku nimeishi kukuambia imefika kwa sababu sasa nimeamua kuenda kwa Dishon kuitisha ile pesa yangu. Saturday tulishinda tukimpigia simu hakushika wala hakurudisha messages...Sunday tukamjaribu asubuhi tukamkosa, nilijaribu kupiga hiyo simu tena ikashikwa na DCI akaniambia dada yenu hayuko tena,” said Esther.

What the family did not know was that the suspect, Mirugi, had spent Saturday moving around with the body of their late sister in his car after he allegedly discovered her body in his wardrobe; he claimed that Wanjiru hanged herself with a bed sheet.

A post-mortem exercise conducted at Kenyatta memorial funeral home revealed that Wanjiru died as a result of pressure to the neck, although it was not conclusive if it was strangulation or hanging. Pathologists have taken more samples for toxicological analysis.

"Tunaona pia mimi maisha yangu iko hatarini kwa sababu wote wanajua niko na ile evidence ya dadangu,” added Esther.

Meanwhile, the suspect who was arrested on Sunday was on Wednesday arraigned at Makadara Law Courts with police seeking to hold him for 14 days.

Mirugi, through his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, has asked the court to release him on bail or bond terms. The court will rule on the application on Friday.