In a horrifying incident that has shocked the nation, the dismembered remains of 20-year-old student Rita Waeni were discovered in rubbish bags at a rental apartment in Nairobi on January 14.
Missing her head, phone, and personal items, the gruesome nature of the murder has raised concerns about violence against women.
Two Nigerian men, William Ovie Opia and Johnbull Asbor, have been arrested in connection with the crime. While the police have not yet charged them, they sought permission to keep the suspects in custody until January 31 to continue their investigations, a request granted by a magistrate.
The suspects were apprehended in Ndenderu, a town near Nairobi, and the police recovered a head, believed to be Ms. Waeni’s, along with her phone and some missing items near a dam in the vicinity.
Items including a butcher’s knife and a small axe, suspected to have been used in the killing, were seized from the suspects’ apartment.
One suspect, Mr. Opia, claimed to have bought the axe online for self-defense.
However, the shocking details of the crime and the demand for a ransom even after Ms. Waeni’s death have ignited calls for action against femicide and violence against women in Kenya.
As the investigations continue, human rights and feminist groups are planning countrywide demonstrations to protest the surge in violent killings of women.
A survey conducted in 2022 indicated that at least 34% of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence at some point in their lives.