Detectives in Mathira West, Nyeri County, have arrested a suspect following the death of a 9-year-old girl whose body was recovered from a pit latrine.
According to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on February 10, 2026, the lifeless body of Shantel Waruguru Kagema was retrieved from the latrine in Kianjathi village, following her mysterious disappearance on February 8, 2026.
“On that fateful morning, Shantel’s parents left for the day around 0800hrs, leaving Shantel at home with her 4-year-old sister,” DCI said.
However, when they returned home at approximately 6:30 pm, they were met with the realisation that Shantel was nowhere to be found.
The parents immediately alerted law enforcement officers, prompting an exhaustive search that uncovered disturbing clues: undergarments and shoes, discovered on an old blue mattress in an abandoned house nearby.
Shantel's mother confirmed the items belonged to her daughter.
Detectives documented and processed the evidence, with Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) officers collecting the undergarments and shoes as exhibits.
A manhunt for the perpetrator eventually focused on Peter Njuguna, who was arrested.
Upon interrogation, he led detectives to the location where he had dumped Shantel's body in his pit latrine.
With assistance from members of the public, detectives retrieved Shantel’s body and transported it to the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Police revealed that Njuguna had lured Shantel with sweets.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that on the day of the tragedy, Njuguna, who lives nearby, coaxed Shantel’s younger sister by giving her Sh10 to go and buy sweets,” the DCI said.
With the sister temporarily out of the house, Njuguna remained with Shantel, where he committed an unspeakable act before callously disposing of her in his pit latrine.
Upon presenting Njuguna in court, detectives secured a 21-day custodial order to enable a comprehensive investigation.
The investigative agency reaffirmed its commitment to protecting society’s most vulnerable members, describing the crime as an attack on the family unit.
“This heinous crime against innocent Shantel Waruguru Kagema is not just an attack on one family, but an assault on the very fabric of our communities and our collective conscience,” it said.
“We stand with Shantel's grieving family and every parent across this nation in declaring that perpetrators of such unspeakable acts against children will face the full force of the law.”
