Rita Waeni murder: Family identifies decapitated head recovered in Kiambu as cause of death revealed

The family of slain Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student Rita Waeni Muendo has positively identified the severed head recovered in Kiambaa, Kiambu County on Monday as that of their daughter.

The deceased's kin conclusively identified the decapitated head on Thursday during an autopsy conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor.

"The family told me that the forehead looked like that of their loved one and they talked about the hair and the teeth as well. Though they are very sure the head belongs to their daughter we still need to prove this scientifically. There are samples we have taken which will undergo DNA testing to match the head to the body of the deceased," Dr. Oduor said.

He similarly stated that the autopsy indicated that the deceased died of strangulation before she was brutally dismembered by her killer.

"The head had been chopped off on the neck at the level of the C5 vertebrae. There was bruising on the scalp which to me looked like it was caused by a blunt object and then upon looking at the neck's structure we also saw fractures which are usually very important in homicide," said Dr. Oduor.

"The hyoid bone was fractured while the thyroid cartilage had some fractures and hemorrhage. From this I can conclude that what caused the death of the young lady was strangulation after which she was decapitated and the body dumped."

Mueni's body was found in a short accommodation apartment in Roysambu area in Nairobi on January 14.

The manager of the apartment, Risper Muthoni, revealed that the deceased's perceived killer secured the room on Saturday, January 13 at 3pm.

Muthoni added that as per policy, once payment is made, guests are entitled to an uninterrupted stay until the scheduled check-out time.

So it was not until the next day that the macabre discovery was made, after the caretaker reported finding suspicious polythene bags and a blood-soaked bed sheet on the staircase.

After multiple futile attempts to receive a response, Muthoni and her team entered the unlocked room where everything appeared normal, save for blood stains at the door. 

They then made a report at the Kasarani Police Station. 

Police have since arrested and arraigned two Nigerian nationals in connection with the gruesome murder.