Detectives in Mathira West, Nyeri County, have recovered the body of nine-year-old Shantel Waruguru Kagema from a pit latrine after her uncle allegedly confessed to dumping her there.
Shantel disappeared on Sunday from her home in Kianjathi village, where she had been left with her younger sister. Her parents reported the incident, sparking a search operation.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers discovered disturbing evidence during the probe. Clothes and shoes believed to belong to the child were found on a worn-out mattress inside an abandoned house nearby. Crime Scene Investigations officers processed the site and collected the items as exhibits.
Detectives later focused their investigation on Peter Njuguna, Shantel’s uncle, who was taken into custody. During questioning, Njuguna allegedly led officers to his pit latrine, where the child’s body was retrieved with the help of local residents. The remains were transferred to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Preliminary findings suggest that Njuguna lured Shantel’s younger sister away by giving her money to buy sweets, leaving Shantel alone with him. It was then that he allegedly committed the crime.
On Tuesday, police presented Njuguna in court, where they secured a 21-day custodial order to allow for further investigations into the case.
