A Catholic nun who had been held in connection with the death of her fellow sister at a children’s home in Meru has been released and will now support the investigation as a State witness.
Sister Caroline Kanjiru was previously in police custody following the killing of Sister Anselimina Karimi, who managed Meru Children’s Home in Nkabune, near Meru town. Karimi, 65, was found dead on October 12 inside her home, lying on her back with severe head injuries.
A medical examination revealed that she had been struck with a heavy object, causing fatal brain bleeding, and also suffered a broken neck as well as wounds on her hands and legs. Reports indicate that she was tied up and tortured before being killed.
After Karimi’s body was discovered, police sought permission from the Meru Magistrate’s Court to detain Sister Kanjiru for two weeks while further investigations, including DNA and phone data analysis, were conducted.
During a court session yesterday, DCI investigator Patrick Wachira, who took over the inquiry from the Imenti North team, reported that their investigations did not uncover any link between Sister Kanjiru and the murder.
“I took over the investigations from the DCI Imenti North. We conducted homicide investigations, did analyses of call data records and interviewed witnesses,” said Wachira. “We have concluded that the respondent is not connected to the murder.”
Following this update, Senior Principal Magistrate Susan Ndegwa approved the application and ordered that Sister Kanjiru be released from custody.
Kiautha Arithi, representing the Catholic Diocese of Meru, welcomed the court’s decision and urged authorities to intensify efforts to locate and prosecute the perpetrators responsible for the killing.
Police reports indicate that Karimi may have been lured away from her residence, killed, and then her body returned to the home. Investigators have suggested that the murder could have occurred between 10 pm on October 11 and 10 am on October 12, noting that Karimi’s phone was used around midnight on the day she was found dead.
The release of Sister Kanjiru shifts the focus of the investigation squarely onto finding those who carried out the gruesome killing. Authorities continue to appeal for information that could help bring the culprits to justice.
