Detectives arrest key suspect, six others over links to serial murders in Nakuru

Police have arrested the serial killer suspected to be behind the recent spate of murders that rocked Mawanga area in Nakuru North.

The suspect identified as Evans Michori Kebwaro was fished out of his hideout in Keroka, Kisii County on Thursday afternoon where he had been hiding since police launched a manhunt for him.

A team comprising detectives from the Crime Research & Intelligence Bureau and Special Services Unit executed the stealth operation that nabbed Kebwaro.

His arrest came just a few hours after the Interior CS Fred Matiang’i chaired a high-powered security meeting under a presidential order.

Kebwaro was transferred to Nakuru where he committed the crimes after revealing five names of his accomplices including Julius Otieno, 27, Josphat Simiyu, 24, Dennis Mmbolo 25, Isaac Kinyanjui, 18 and Makhoha Wanjala, 25, all of whom have been rounded up and are currently in police custody.

Police have since established Kebwaro is a jailbird with a past tainted with criminal activities who has been previously convicted and served sentences in prison.

Preliminary investigations show Kebwaro is responsible for at least three heinous murders committed around Mawanga area and its environs.

The murders followed a similar pattern and were all reported at Kiugoine Police Station between June 15, 2022, and June 24, 2022.

All the murders targeted women and were committed during the day, with the victims’ bodies being found in the bedroom after being set ablaze.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the bloodthirsty killer would first rape the victims before strangling them and setting their lifeless bodies on fire under a heap of clothes.

On June 14, 2022, in Kiamaina, Nakuru North Sub County, a woman identified as Grace Wanjiku, 20, was found burnt beyond recognition under a heap of bedding, in a house that had been razed down by a huge fire. 

Attempts by first responders to extinguish the fire proved futile until fire engines from Nakuru City County arrived. 

Seven days later, a middle-aged woman identified as Susan Wambui, was found dead in her bedroom at a house in Kiamaina, after neighbours put off a fire that had engulfed the entire house at around 4 pm. Luckily, her 3-year-old baby was rescued from the rubble. 

In the latest murder incident, before the thug went into hiding, a 23-year-old woman identified as Diana Opicho was found murdered in cold blood in the same area of Mawanga, with her lifeless body sprawled on the floor of the house.

Her murder sparked online outrage, with Nakuru residents calling for action from the government, to bring to an end the senseless murders. 

Detectives have established that the experienced killer who has served time in prison, managed to cover his steps over a period of time giving local police who were tracking him a difficult time, until the arrival of the highly skilled crime busters based at DCI headquarters. 

In 24 hours, the sleuths had analysed all the scenes of the previous murders, identified the mastermind and launched a manhunt leading to his arrest, 182 kilometres away in Keroka, Kisii county.

The suspect has confessed to killing 7 people in cold blood and so far, detectives have placed him at the scene of three murders through innovative forensic technology

Meanwhile, the six thugs are currently being transported to DCI headquarters for a more comprehensive forensic examination at the DCI National Forensic laboratory before a detailed report is released to the public. 

With the arrest of the mastermind and his cabal of thugs, the DCI reassures Nakuru residents of their safety and security, as the agency upscales its surveillance in the city for the remaining pockets of criminals. 

As always, we thank members of the public and the local community for partnering with us and volunteering information leading to the arrest of the suspects.