Person of interest arrested after 65-year-old woman is hacked to death in Meru

Detectives in Meru County have apprehended a person of interest in relation to the gruesome murder of 65-year-old Evelyne Mukiri Mbaabu. The incident occurred at her residence in Kithoka, Imenti East Sub-county, on August 7, 2026. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect was apprehended on September 21, 2026, following weeks of forensic analysis and intelligence-led investigations.

The DCI stated that detectives arrested the prime suspect on September 21, 2026, as they continued piecing together the circumstances surrounding Mukiri's death. The arrest came after detectives spent weeks conducting forensic analysis and intelligence-led investigations. A blood-stained panga was recovered during the arrest and is now being examined forensically to establish its connection to the fatal attack.

The suspect was positively identified during a police identification parade, and he was subsequently presented before the Meru Law Courts. He was granted a 14-day custodial order to complete the ongoing investigations.