Mlolongo Hairdresser Murder: DCI Arrest Woman Trying to Escape To Tanzania

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested the prime suspect in the heinous murder of hair stylist Jeniffer Mwende (aka Jane) whose body was discovered dumped at a pit latrine in Mlolongo, Machakos County.

DCI revealed in a statement on Saturday, October 28 that the suspect, Phyllis Nzula Mbithi, is in the detectives' custody following her arrest on Friday night, October 27 in Kitengela town as she attempted to escape to Tanzania.

Mbithi was arrested in a Namanga-bound matatu minutes past 9 pm after weeks of relentless manhunt by crime research detectives acting on forensic-led intelligence.

"In the dreadful case of a fatal love triangle, meticulous probe into the disappearance and subsequent murder of Miss Mwende brought Phyllis's' name to the limelight after it emerged that she (Phyllis) had on various occasions threatened Mwende regarding a married man they were both seeing," stated the DCI in part.

The main suspect in the murder of hairdresser Jeniffer Mwende arrested by detectives on October 27, 2023. /DCI

Mwende's fellow salonists and friends became concerned after she (Mwende) failed to show up at her workplace for days, prompting a report of her disappearance to the police. 

The deceased's brother who made the formal report at Mlolongo Police Station on August 29, 2023, told the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) that she had been missing since August 25, after receiving a call from an unestablished person. The OCS circulated a signal of the missing lady to all station commands countrywide for search.

"Reportedly, Mwende had on that day (August 25) left her salon while talking to someone over the phone, and just like that, she was gone.

"After days of fruitless search for her, the case was forwarded to the DCI where fresh investigations were instituted and statements recorded from various persons of interest. Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau detectives backed up by teams from the DCI National Forensic Laboratory hit the ground running," added the DCI.

Detectives disclosed that investigative interviewing of the caretaker where Mwende had rented a room indicated that on August 22 and August 24, some unknown women had visited Mwende's house while she was away and enquired about her whereabouts.

Forensic analysis that traced Mwende's last moments revealed a non-coincidental disappearance but a well-orchestrated plot to end her life, one mastered by the prime suspect and aided by two other women.

Detectives unravelled that Phyllis (prime suspect) used a female neighbour identified as Faith Nthenya to lure Mwende to her death trap through a phone call, indicating that some clients were seeking her services at a house she (Mwende) would be directed to.

In the conversation, Faith directed Mwende to Phyllis's house which was the alleged house of the clients.

Once inside, Mwende was subdued by the two women before Phyllis called a third woman, Evelyne Wanza Katumbu. Wanza was the wife of the man entangled in the affair, Januaris Musau Mulwa. 

"Apparently, Wanza had become protective of her man and accused Phyllis of snatching him away. To save her skin, Phyllis plotted the luring of Mwende whom she knew was her fellow paramour to Musau, and called the wife pointing fingers at the defenceless woman.

"After roughing her up and threatening her with death should she be seen around Musau, Phyllis and Wanza feared that Mwende would report them to the police. They hence heinously strangled her with a bedsheet as Faith suffocated her with pieces of cloth to avoid any screams," exposed the DCI.

Interrogations on Wanza and Faith who had since been arrested indicated that Phyllis planned to have the body sneaked out of the compound to a forest by an unknown taxi driver, but the plan failed after lacking the key to the main gate through which the car was to enter. It was then that they resorted to dumping the body into the pit latrine.

Ever since, Phyllis who remained on police radar holed up by escaping to Mombasa and Kibwezi, before her interception and arrest on Friday night.

The suspect's arraignment is scheduled for Monday, October 30, where she will join her accomplices Faith and Wanza who pleaded to murder charges earlier on Friday.

A crowd surrounding a police car in Kenya. /FILE