Nakuru, Kenya – The husband of a 23-year-old M-Pesa agent whose body was found dumped in a plantation has been arrested in connection with her death.
Zachariah Wanjohi, the husband of the late Hannah Waithera, was taken into custody by police on Wednesday afternoon. The arrest comes a week after Waithera was reported missing by her family.
She had last been seen leaving her shop in Nakuru’s central business district to deposit more than Ksh.250,000 at a nearby bank. She never returned home.
Her body, badly decomposed, was discovered in a maize plantation at Technology Farm in Nakuru West. Police confirmed that the remains had been positively identified.
“Her phone was last traced to the Kijabe area on the day she disappeared,” said a police officer close to the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “That gave us an early lead, but the case has developed quickly in the last two days.”
Wanjohi had initially spoken to the press before his arrest, describing how he had tried to reach his wife when she failed to return home.
“I called her, but she didn’t pick up,” he said. “I went to her workplace, and they told me she had left around 1 p.m. I got worried and started looking for her. I even asked a police officer friend to help trace her number.”
The family’s concern turned to despair as days passed without word. Then came the breakthrough — and the pain of confirmation.
Waithera’s mother, Mary Njeri, said what followed was even more distressing. According to her, police officers raided their home aggressively.
“They came and harassed us violently,” she said. “We had just left the station after giving our statements. When we got home, they were already there. They searched our car and grabbed a bag. One officer even hit someone. A female officer pulled a pistol and they took all our phones.”
The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and police have yet to release official charges. However, detectives say investigations are still ongoing.
Nakuru County police have not made a public statement beyond confirming Wanjohi’s arrest.
The murder has shocked the local business community, where Waithera was known as a hardworking young woman trying to build her life.
“She was always polite and focused,” said James Kamau, a fellow agent who worked a few shops away. “It’s just heartbreaking.”
As the investigation continues, Waithera’s family is demanding justice — and answers.
