Police in Kiambaa, Kiambu County, are investigating another femicide case involving the murder of 19-year-old Sharon Atieno who was killed hours after leaving her house for a walk.
The badly mutilated body of Sharon Atieno, also known as Nicole, was discovered on Friday, November 8, 2024, in a banana plantation in Banana area.
Sharon is said to have left her residence in Thindigwa, Karuri, at 10 p.m. on Thursday to make a phone call. She was also taking a walk, ostensibly for a breath of fresh air, leaving her roommate behind.
Her friend, Shallet Vudembu, tried to reach her later but received no response. The next time Shallet saw Sharon was on a banana plantation in Gachorwe village, Kiambaa.
“So yeah, that day, Thursday night, she left and never came back. I decide to call her boss and asked if Nicole had gone to her workplace, but he told me that Nicole hadn’t gone to work and that her colleagues hadn’t seen her,” she said Vudembu.
She added, “The previous day she had disclosed to me that her mother passed at a time like this, and it was the worst month for her because it’s the same month her mum passed on. That’s the only problem I know she had.”
Sharon Atieno found dead
Fredick Njiraini Kimani, the owner of the farm where Sharon’s body was discovered, and another witness recollected how they found the teenager’s lifeless body.
“I came to check and looked at the girl. I found that she was not breathing and confirmed that she had already been killed,” Kimani explained.
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Another witness described, “It appeared as though the assailant attempted to sever her neck with a handsaw. Her neck was nearly completely severed.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday November 13th of 2024 to determine the cause of death marking the beginning of the family’s quest for justice.
On the other hand, investigators are pursuing leads through Sharon’s last communications and her M-Pesa transactions.
“We are analyzing forensically the cell phone, the communication and other investigation lead. There is something we are doing and therefore uh at the moment we have not finished investigation, so the matter is under active investigation,” said Kiambaa Police boss Pius Mwanthi
Femicide cases
The death of Sharon Atieno is an addition to the growing statistics of femicide cases in the country.
Over 97 femicide cases have been reported by different government institutions in the last 3 months.
A bigger concern has been the sluggish investigations and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Last week, President William Ruto addressed the alarming rise in femicide cases, blaming the crisis on a combination of moral decay and criminal activity.
Ruto while speaking at the African Divine Church in Nairobi expressed deep concern about the growing number of Kenyan women who, expecting love and respect from their partners, have become victims of brutal violence and murder.
In response, the Head of State reassured the country of the government’s determination to address the issue.
He promised to strengthen the police force and equip them to combat the troubling trend of femicide.
However, Ruto emphasized that government intervention alone would not be sufficient.
He urged parents and communities to address what he described as “the moral issue” underlying this violence, advocating for a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes without shifting blame.
The President’s remarks come amid mounting pressure from rights groups to declare femicide a national disaster.
Notably, the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and other human rights organizations have condemned the government’s perceived inaction on these heinous crimes, calling for immediate justice and accountability.
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