In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DCI identified the suspect as Wycliffe Otieno Odero, who is wanted in connection with what detectives have described as “one of the most disturbing domestic murder cases in recent months.”

“We are appealing to members of the public to provide any information that may lead to the arrest of 28-year-old Wycliffe Otieno Odero, whose photograph appears below,” the DCI said.

“The suspect is wanted for the brutal murder of his wife and two children in Yare area of Samburu Central Sub-County.”

According to investigators, the suspect, who worked as a casual labourer in Maralal town, lived with his wife, Ann Njeri Atheera, and their two daughters, Natalia Nyambura (6) and Tyra Jones (4), in a rented house along the Maralal–Nyahururu road.

Preliminary findings indicate that on the fateful night, Odero arrived home visibly drunk and engaged in a heated argument with his wife over an undisclosed domestic issue.

“In a fit of rage, the suspect is believed to have attacked his wife with a kitchen knife, inflicting multiple stab wounds that led to her death,” a detective attached to the DCI Maralal office told reporters.

“He then turned the weapon on his two daughters, who were asleep, and slit their throats before fleeing into the night.”

Neighbours who heard commotion inside the house said they initially thought it was a minor quarrel.

“We heard shouting and crying, but it stopped suddenly,” said a neighbour, Mary Lekishon.

“When we went to check in the morning, the door was locked from outside. That’s when we suspected something terrible had happened.”

Police officers who responded to the scene were met with a gruesome sight.

The bodies of the woman and her children lay in pools of blood on the bedroom floor.

“It was a heartbreaking scene,” said Samburu Central Sub-County Police Commander, Peter Mwangi.

“Even our most experienced officers were deeply shaken. No child deserves to die in such a brutal manner.”

A manhunt was immediately launched, but Odero managed to evade capture. Detectives have since extended the search to neighbouring counties, including Laikipia, Baringo, and Nakuru, amid fears that the suspect might have sought refuge with relatives or friends.

The DCI has circulated Odero’s photograph and urged anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to report immediately to the nearest police station.

“Members of the public are warned that the suspect is dangerous and may be armed,” the agency cautioned. “Do not attempt to apprehend him yourself. Instead, alert law enforcement authorities immediately.”

The killings have sparked outrage and sorrow across the region, with leaders and residents condemning the rise in domestic-related violence.

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Taking the stand at the Milimani High Court, Angelica Muthoni, a long-time cleaner for businesswoman Jane Wairimu Mutungi, told Justice Alexander Muteti that she interacted briefly with a man, identified as Matara, on January 3, 2024, around 5:30 p.m. outside Papino Apartments, Room Y32.

“My boss Jane Wairimu Mutungi sent me to collect money from a guest. When I knocked, a man opened the door. I told him I had come to collect Sh 3,200. He handed me the cash,” Muthoni testified.

While being read in evidence in chief by State Prosecutor Mercy Njoroge, the cleaner said she did not enter the apartment and spoke with the man at the door.

“He was dark, had slightly long hair, and was tall. I had never seen him before. He gave me the money using his right hand. I did not notice any blood or injuries on him.”

According to Muthoni, the man also asked about the WiFi password and said he wanted to check out at 12 p.m. the following day, but she reminded him that the checkout time was 10 a.m. She later confirmed to the court that the man she met that evening is the same person currently on trial.

“The person in the dock is the same person I met that day at Room Y32,” she stated firmly.

Hours after that interaction, Starlet Wahu’s body was discovered inside the apartment with signs of a violent struggle.

Under questioning from Matara’s lawyer, Samuel Ayor, Muthoni added that she did not witness any commotion at the time she visited, nor could she tell how many people were inside the apartment.

“I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious. I did not see Matara leave the apartment later that night in a towel soaked in blood, as claimed.”

Muthoni also said she recorded a statement at Makadara Police Station following the incident.

She has worked with Wairimu since 2022, helping clean her Airbnb properties and also works at her salon located in Sanasana, South B.

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