Femicide cases reported in Nakuru
Rift Valley
By
Yvonne Chepkwony
| Apr 22, 2026
Suspected domestic violence killing in Nakuru adds to growing concern over rising femicide cases. [File Courtesy]
Nakuru Court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations detectives 13 days to investigate the murder of an accountant, allegedly killed by his husband, a military officer.
Deputy Registrar High Court Lina Okoth granted Jonathan Chepkonga, an officer attached to DCI Nakuru, to hold Edwin Kauga for the murder of his wife Annita Mugweru on April 14, at the couple's rented house within White House in Nakuru County.
"On April 14, 2026, Winnie Nakhombe, Mugweru's house help, claimed that the KDF officer had an altercation over infidelity issues with his wife, where he stabbed her on the chest with a kitchen knife," said the officer.
Mugweru was rushed to Nairobi Women's Hospital, Section 58, where she succumbed to the injury.
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Kauga, the officer said, was arrested by police from the Teachers Police Post as he tried to flee the scene.
"I'm yet to record statements of crucial witnesses who were at the scene during the incident. I need to look for the children's officer to record a statement, regarding the couple's four-year-old daughter, who was present during the incident, and she is still traumatised," the court heard.
Chepkonga stated that he needed to escort Kauga to the government chemist in Kisumu for sample taking, and the exhibit being the knife recovered at the scene, and his wife's blood sample for analysis.
He stated that the military officer might interfere with the investigation since most of the crucial witnesses are his relatives.
During an earlier interview, the family had claimed that Mugweru had opted to separate from her husband, as the marriage was unbearable.
Her husband, Kaunga, a military captain based in Gilgil, had threatened her more than once and had hurt her during their union.
The couple's four-year-old daughter has seen it all. Still, the event that led to the death of her mother will stick in her memory, witnessing her father allegedly stabbing her mother with a kitchen knife.
“I joined Mugweru last year as a house help. She was living with her daughter, Kauga, who came during Easter and had a confrontation," the housekeeper said.
The officer is said to have threatened to kill his wife, forcing Mugweru to report the incident at the police station.
Nakhombe said that during Easter, he came home drunk and quarrelled with her. He broke the woman's phone, beating her mercilessly.
The house help called Mugweru’s brother, who rescued her that night, leaving her daughter with the house help. That night, Edward also left, but later came home with a woman and slept till morning.
On Tuesday, police arrested Kauga, but he was released. The house help said that following his release, he came to the house, and the altercations continued.
"I saw him pick a knife. I was too late to warn her. He stabbed Mugweru on the chest," she alleged. Serrah Mugweru, Annita's mother, said that the couple has been having marital problems.
"This Saturday, we were supposed to come and dissolve the union, but my daughter was killed before then," says Serrah.
She revealed that initially her brother-in-law had stabbed her daughter, leaving her with a stomach wound, but she forgave him.
Within a month, Nakuru has reported four cases of femicide. On Monday last week, a 42-year-old woman was hacked to death by his alleged boyfriend. Mary Njoki was allegedly killed by Paul Ndung'u in Nyathuna village in Bahati.
In March, a 30-year-old security guard, Jackline Awuor, was killed by a suspected partner, and his body was disposed of in a quarry in Maili Kumi in Bahati. Her sister, Roselyn Awuor, said that her sister had complained about her partner and wanted to end the relationship.
The County Executive, Gender Elga Riaga, said that the cases of femicide have been on the rise in Nakuru. She said that so far, four cases have been reported in which women have been killed in Bahati, Nakuru East and Molo.