Portrait of the three-year-old Margret Wanjiru who was killed by a 17- year-old girl at PCEA Shalom Mchanganyiko in Posho Mill, Bahati sub-county.
On June 22, Ms Regina Wangui Mwangi left for church with her two children in high spirits and good health.
Accompanied by her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter Wanjiru, Ms Wangui attended a service at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Shalom Mchanganyiko in the Posho Mill area of Bahati, Nakuru.
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Regina Wangui, mother of the three-year-old Margret Wanjiru on June 23, 2025 narrates how her daughter was murdered by a 17- year-old girl.
Wanjiru's Last Request
During the service, Ms Wangui recalled that little Wanjiru approached her and asked for some money to buy sweets.
“I gave her some coins and she left but she never came back. I assumed she was playing outside with her peers,” she said.
According to Ms Wangui, the church had scheduled its annual medical checkup on the same day and all members were encouraged to participate. After the service, she attended a brief meeting and then proceeded to the checkup station leaving her children in the church compound.
“I came back only to find my son playing alone. When I asked him about his sister, he said he thought they were still together. We searched the church playground but she was nowhere to be found," she recalled.
Ms Wangui said she had earlier seen Wanjiru mimicking her as she underwent the checkup. “I assumed she was safe with her elder brother,” she said.
While standing at the church’s main gate, she overheard two men asking congregants if anyone had lost a child. They said a young girl, matching Wanjiru’s description of wearing a purple trench coat and blue pants had been found sleeping a few meters from the church.
She rushed to the location and found her daughter dead.
“I was confused. How could my daughter be dead just like that? I ran to the scene and checked if she had been sexually assaulted. She was not but she was unresponsive and thick saliva was coming from her mouth,” said a devastated Ms Wangui.
“I screamed for help and people including medics from the ongoing medical camp came running. They said she was still alive and we rushed her to Kenlands Hospital but she was declared dead on arrival. Her body was later moved to the PNN mortuary,” she added.
The area chief informed the police who visited the hospital and the scene of the incident. Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) retrieved CCTV footage from nearby buildings and arrested a 17-year-old girl, now a suspect in Wanjiru’s killing.
Esther Muchemi Wanjiru, a teacher, recalled the last time they were together during her interview on June 23, 2025.
Ms Wangui said the CCTV showed the girl leaving the church with Wanjiru and heading toward where her body was later discovered. The footage captured the suspect squatting, and then strangling Wanjiru with a piece of cloth. Before walking away, she was seen turning the girl’s body twice as if to confirm she was dead. Shockingly, as people gathered around the body, the suspect stood nearby watching seemingly unfazed.
'I hated your child'
Sunday school teachers later identified the suspect’s brother and this led detectives to the suspect’s home where she was arrested.
“At the station, I asked her if she knew me and she said she always sees me at church with my daughter. When I asked why she killed her, she simply said she hated my child since she started coming to our church. Other parents said she liked playing with the kids and even bought sweets for them including mine. I don’t understand why she did this,” said Ms Wangui.
Wanjiru, who had recently joined playgroup, loved school despite her young age with her mother describing her as humble and loving.
“She was my soft spot. We had a special bond and I want to know what made this girl do such a thing. Was she sent by someone? What was the motive? It won’t bring my daughter back, but it will help us find closure. A child killing another child is not normal,” she said.
Friends and relatives of three-year-old Margret Wanjiru, who was killed by a 17-year-old girl while they were at PCEA Shalom Mchanganyiko in Posho Mill, Bahati sub-county, gathered to grieve.
Her teacher Esther Muchemi remembered Wanjiru as a bright and joyful pupil in a class of twelve at First Step Nursery School.
“She was so humble and loved learning. I always waited with her until her rider picked her up. When I heard a child had been killed on Sunday, I never imagined it was Wanjiru. It breaks my heart,” she said.
Bahati resident Chege Wagura said the entire village was in shock.
“This happened in a place we considered safe. Was the girl performing a ritual? Was she sent? What else has she done before? What was the motive?” he questioned.
Chege Wagura a resident of Mchanganyiko in Posho Mill within Bahati Sub County narrates the ordeal young Wanjiru underwent before she met her death during his interview on June 23, 2025.
Nakuru North police commander Lilies Wachira confirmed the 17-year-old suspect is in custody and that DCI officers are investigating the motive.
She noted that the suspect is classified as a child in need of care and protection and will undergo a mental health evaluation before being charged in court.
Advocate Timothy Khasogo explained that under Section 14 of the Penal Code, the girl being between 12 and 17 years old is criminally liable.
“She will be tried under the juvenile justice system which differs from how adult offenders are treated. Proceedings are typically held in-camera. If found liable, she may be sent to a borstal institution for rehabilitation,” he said.
Mr Khasogo added that investigators will also determine if the girl was acting alone or was sent.
