By Kemuma Achieng
Police in Nakuru have arrested Zachariah Wanjohi in connection with the suspected murder of his 23-year-old wife, Hannah Waithera, an M-Pesa agent whose decomposed body was discovered a week after she was reported missing.
Waithera, who operated a mobile money outlet along Kenyatta Avenue in Nakuru’s Central Business District, was last seen on May 21, 2025, as she left her workplace to deposit KSh 250,000 at a local bank. Her disappearance triggered a desperate search by family and friends, culminating in a missing person report filed at Nakuru Central Police Station.
Tragically, on May 26, a week after she vanished, Waithera’s body was discovered in a water trough at Technology Farm, part of the Rift Valley National Polytechnic. The discovery followed reports from residents about a persistent foul smell in the area.
“The body was too decomposed to identify visible injuries,” said Nakuru West Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Kirui. “This suggests she may have been killed elsewhere and dumped at the site.” Her remains were transferred to the Nakuru City Mortuary for further forensic examination.
Zachariah Wanjohi, Waithera’s husband, was arrested on Monday and is currently assisting detectives with investigations. Police were expected to present him in court on Tuesday, seeking more time to detain him as inquiries continue.
Before his arrest, Wanjohi spoke to the media, claiming he had been actively searching for his wife. “I called her, but she didn’t pick up,” he said. “I went to her workplace, and they told me she left around 1 p.m. and hasn’t been seen since.”
However, Waithera’s family has raised serious concerns about how the case was handled, alleging that police initially focused more on the missing money than her safety. “They treated her like a suspect instead of a victim,” said Mary Njeri, Waithera’s mother. “We were harassed and intimidated when all we wanted was to find her alive.”
According to the family, officers stormed their home during the early stages of the investigation, seizing phones and property without clear explanation. They described the police operation as aggressive and emotionally traumatic, especially in the midst of their grief.
The case has sparked public concern about the safety of mobile money agents in Kenya, particularly those routinely handling large cash transactions. With Waithera’s death highlighting the vulnerabilities in this line of work, many are now calling for better protection measures and secure banking options for agents.
As detectives continue their investigation, the spotlight remains on the circumstances of Waithera’s disappearance and the events leading up to her tragic death. Postmortem results and forensic analysis are expected to offer more insight into the case.
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