Pastor Kanyari: Why Sister Starlet Wahu Was Buried 3 Days After Being Killed

Controversial Nairobi pastor, Prophet Victor Kanyari, has addressed the controversy surrounding the swift burial of his 26-year-old sister, Starlet Wahu Mwangi, who was murdered inside a South B, Nairobi Airbnb apartment in an alleged case of a date gone wrong.

The news of Wahu's burial which took place on Saturday, January 6, at her parents’ home in Kamulu, Nairobi City County raised pertinent questions amongst social media users in Kenya given that it took place three days after police found her lifeless body in the Airbnb.

However, the prominent religious personality noted that the decision stemmed from the need to avoid attracting unwanted attention to themselves given their status in society.

“As a family, we decided that it was the best way to mourn our loved one. Again, why the need to keep her yet she is gone forever? No need.

The late Starlet Wahu posing for a photo. /INSTAGRAM.WAHU STARLET

"We did not want outsiders during her burial. It was very private to the family,” Pastor Kanyari told Nairobi News.

He however expressed hope that justice for his sister would prevail, this coming after the arrest of 30-year-old John Matara who is now the prime suspect in the murder case and is under investigation.

While some families adhere to extended mourning periods and elaborate ceremonies, others, like Starlet Wahu’s, may choose a different approach.

Respecting each decision is crucial for fostering cultural sensitivity and understanding during times of grief.

Kenyans were left puzzled following the speedy burial which went in defiance of the customary week-long mourning period observed among the Kikuyu community.

Hailing from a highly religious family, where her mother, Prophetess Lucy Nduta, and brother, Pastor Victor Kanyari, are prominent personalities in Kenya, the departure from tradition fueled speculation and debate online, especially given the circumstances surrounding Wahu's death and the socialite's highly-luxurious lifestyle.

Some netizens also believed that the swift burial could risk throwing the nature of ongoing investigations into a tailspin.

As of now, the probe is touching on Matara's dark past which included reportedly coordinating a criminal syndicate that targeted women from dating and hookup websites.

Many of Matara's victims exposed to the media how they met him through dating sites, booked an Airbnb with him, conducted an HIV test together and were forced to undress while demanding a sum of money in terrifying ordeals, all while he spent money on them.

One of the victims narrated that Matara got hold of her parents' phone number and before he left, he asked her to rub her private parts naked while he filmed her, threatening to leak it to the internet in the event she happened to report him.

The confessions raised worry across the country as to how many women may have fallen for the trick and failed to report it.

The gang led by Matara was also reported to have been monitoring social media platforms such as Instagram and targeting women who live the 'soft life'.

CCTV footage showing Starlet Wahu with a man at an Airbnb apartment in Nairobi's South B. /K24