Officer recounts dramatic hospital arrest of Starlet Wahu murder suspect

A police officer has told the court how the main suspect in the murder of Starlet Wahu was tracked down and arrested at Mbagathi Hospital hours after the incident.

Testifying before the court, Police Constable Horace Arwa, an officer attached to South B Police Station, said that on January 4, 2024, he was on a 24-hour duty shift when he received a call from Inspector Ngwatti at around midnight informing him of a scene that required police attention.

Upon arriving at the report office, he found two female who had reported the discovery of a body at Pappino Apartments in South B.

Together with Corporal Ngwatti, the officer proceeded to the fourth floor of the apartment, specifically House Y32, described as an Airbnb unit.

“The door was slightly open and before fully entering, I saw a naked body lying next to a sofa near the door,” Arwa told the court.

He said the body was lying in a pool of blood and the entire sitting room floor was stained with blood.

A photo of blood knife and towel soaked in blood used as exhibits in court

Upon closer examination, they established that the deceased was a woman.

The court heard that residents informed the officers that an unknown man had earlier been seen leaving the apartment wrapped in a towel covered with blood around his waist.

A photo of officer Horace Arwa and an exhibit of the blue shirt covered in blood before court

Shortly after, one of the female ladies who had reported the incident received a call from an unknown person who claimed the suspect had been spotted near South B Hospital. 

Arwa took over the call and asked the caller to keep trailing the suspect.

Leaving other officers to secure the scene, Arwa said he proceeded in pursuit using a civilian vehicle belonging to one of the reporters while maintaining communication with the informer.

The informer later indicated that the suspect had been referred to Mbagathi Hospital.

At Mbagathi Hospital, the officers found the suspect being attended to by two nurses and was dressed in a bluish shirt with brownish stains and had a white towel wrapped around his waist,the clothes had visible blood stains.

Arwa testified that the suspect had multiple stab wounds but was in stable condition.

The suspect identified himself as John Matara Ong’oa, aged 34.

According to the officer, when questioned, Matara said he had struggled with the deceased, whom he identified as his girlfriend, and remembered stabbing her on the right thigh during the altercation.

Another man at the hospital identified himself as Antony Nyongesa, stating that he had taken Matara to hospital but did not disclose where they had met.

Once doctors confirmed that Matara was stable, he was discharged. His blood-soaked clothes, including trousers and the towel, were collected as exhibits.

Both John Matara and Antony Nyongesa were arrested and taken to the police station.