Detectives have launched investigations following the brutal murder of prominent farmer and businessman Joseph Njenga Njuguna at his home in Kiptugut Farm, Kimase village, Endebess Sub-County.
The 68-year-old businessman was murdered shortly after hosting family members for his daughter’s traditional dowry completion ceremony on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
According to police reports, Njenga returned home at around 9pm after driving some of his guests to nearby Kitale.
He briefly spoke to the farm’s security guard before retiring to bed.
The following morning, he was found dead in his matrimonial bed with severe machete wounds to his head.
His wife, Mary Muthoni Ng’ethe, was reportedly missing from the scene.
She was later found unconscious by a motorist at the Kitale-Webuye roundabout, about two kilometres from Kitale town, and taken to hospital.
The circumstances surrounding her disappearance have since attracted the attention of detectives.
Investigators reportedly found no obvious signs of forced entry into the main house.
The doors and windows were said to be intact, although the main door was found wide open.
An undisclosed amount of money collected during the family’s dowry ceremony was also reportedly missing.
These circumstances have led detectives to investigate whether the perpetrators had prior knowledge of the money and whether someone familiar with the household may have facilitated access.
On Tuesday, September 1, the Kitale High Court granted police a 14-day detention order to hold three suspects for further investigations.
They are Njenga’s wife, Mary Ng’ethe; her brother, Michael Maina; and the farm security guard, Mboshe Mwangi.
The suspects were presented before court to allow investigators more time to complete their investigations, as police cannot hold a suspect beyond the legally prescribed period without obtaining court authority.
Detectives are also examining the circumstances surrounding the guard’s last interaction with Njenga.
Mwangi reportedly spoke to the deceased shortly before he went to bed, making his account an important part of the ongoing investigation.
Police are seeking to establish how the attackers gained access to the home, whether the missing money was the motive and what happened to Mary Ng’ethe before she was found unconscious.
The investigation continues as detectives work to piece together the events surrounding Njenga’s final hours and determine who was responsible for his death.
