The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reached out to the mother of the first victim whose body was found among those dumped at a quarry in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi.
Josephine said her daughter, Imelda Judith Karenya, went missing in 2021 but remained active on social media. She stated that no one in her family knew the prime suspect, Jumaisi Khalusha, throughout this period.
However, Josephine revealed that two men claimed they were married to Imelda in 2021 and 2022.
“There is nobody who knew him (the suspect). But there is somebody who used to call me claiming that he was married to Imelda towards the end of 2021,” she said.
“When it got to 2022, another person called me claiming that he was married to her. He said he was a pastor staying at Sinai. He started shouting at me and I told him to stay with her if she was good.”
Josephine emphasized that she couldn’t confirm if Khalusha was one of the men who claimed to be married to Imelda after she went missing.
“I can’t know because sometimes ladies have issues with their spouses, and she gets another man,” Josephine said.
How Josephine Went Missing
The mother stated that her daughter went missing after she refused to go to school. Josephine said Imelda was supposed to travel to Uasin Gishu (home) to study, but she refused and sneaked back to Nairobi without her knowledge. She narrated that Imelda disappeared but remained active on social media until in 2022 when her accounts went dormant.
The mother explained that she didn’t report to the police since they could still monitor her through her social media accounts.
“She went missing but sometimes we could see her chatting with people on social media. But in 2022, her accounts went dormant; she wasn’t responding to our messages. Since that time, I never heard of her until now when I was told she was murdered,” Josephine said.
“I didn’t report her missing because she was active online, but in 2022, her sisters told me her accounts were inactive.”
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Imelda’s Death
Josephine explained that she received the news about Imelda’s death from her younger brother who resides in Syokimau.
She stated that her brother called and asked whether she had heard of the reports that had been communicated back at home.
“He told me that Imelda has another name, ‘Akinyi,’ and she had been cut into pieces. Then he hung up. I then called my brother Boni, who told me to relax. He said he was searching for a certain report then he’d let me know,” she narrated.
“I was shocked, and I left my place of work (Fedha Estate) immediately and went home. I proceeded to Kware together with my daughter. I went to the police station before I was called to come and record my statement here.”
Josephine requested the government to ensure justice prevails because she is in pain over her daughter’s murder, even though she made mistakes.
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DCI Warns Kenyans
DCI on Sunday named Khalusha, a 33-year-old man, as the prime suspect behind the murder of 42 women and dumping their bodies in the quarry.
He alleged that his first victim was his wife named Imelda Judith Khalenya whom he strangled to death before dismembering her body and disposing it at the site.
The investigative agency also warned Kenyans against spreading false information on social media regarding the identity of the prime suspect.
In a statement, DCI boss Mohamed Amin said some Kenyans have taken to social media and discredited the version of details issued about the suspect. DCI pointed out one Francis Gaitho (@FGaitho237) who went ahead to post the names, images, and description of another innocent Kenyan by the name of Jairus Onkundi on his X account.
Onkundi, a graduate from Meru University of Science and Technology, surrendered himself to the authorities for clearance from any culpability in the ongoing investigation.
“Equally, I take this opportunity to assure Kenyans that our investigations are methodical and thorough, and that we are always keen to ensure that any information originating from us is credible and well verified,” Amin said.
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