Fear Grips Nairobi as Serial Killer Suspected in String of Women’s Murders

A chilling pattern of violence against women in two Nairobi-adjacent neighbourhoods has sent shockwaves through the community, with residents now openly questioning whether a serial killer is stalking the streets of Zimmerman and Githurai 45.

The latest victim, Monicah Nyambura, 32, was found dead inside her rented house in the Mwihoko area of Githurai after neighbours raised the alarm over a foul stench emanating from her residence for several days. When concerned residents finally forced their way into her home, they discovered a scene that would haunt them for years to come. The lights were still on. Monicah lay unclothed, her body bearing the unmistakable hallmarks of a violent struggle. Her nose had been broken. Her neck bore deep cuts. Bruises and lacerations covered her body.

But the most chilling detail was yet to come.

Lying on the bed next to where her body was discovered was a national identification card, believed to belong to her killer. The discovery has set off a fierce debate among investigators and residents alike. Was it a careless mistake by a panicked attacker, or a calculated act of misdirection designed to send investigators chasing a ghost?

“Someone is about to have a very long day. That ID is probably an alibi. When you lose your ID, you report it to the police and you have that abstract,” one social media user wrote, capturing the sentiment rippling through online communities following news of the discovery.

Police confirmed the body was moved to the mortuary pending a post-mortem examination as detectives piece together the events leading to Monicah’s death. Investigations are ongoing, though no arrests have been announced.

Monicah, who neighbours describe as warm and sociable, worked as a club waitress and is also said to have offered massage services from her residence. It is widely believed she had received a client at her home shortly before she was killed.

Monicah Nyambura

Hers is not an isolated case.

Within the same four-week window, two other women in the same corridor of neighbourhoods have been killed under circumstances that locals describe as deeply suspicious. The first victim was murdered near a carwash in Zimmerman, her body dismembered and stuffed into a carrier bag. A second woman was killed in an area known locally as Toezi. Details surrounding her death remain sparse, but the emerging pattern has been impossible to ignore.

“It seems like someone has decided to eliminate women who host sleepovers,” an anonymous community member wrote in a widely shared social media group. “Three ladies killed in one month. One at Zimmerman carwash, the other at Toezi who was put in a Nigerian bag, and now Nyambura Monicah. Ladies, be careful.”

The nature of the killings, targeting women in private settings where they were most vulnerable, has prompted urgent calls for police to investigate whether the murders are connected. Security experts note that while proximity and timing alone do not confirm a serial perpetrator, the concentration of violence against women in the adult services industry within such a narrow geographic and time frame demands serious scrutiny.

Women’s rights advocates have condemned what they describe as a failure to adequately protect vulnerable women in the informal economy. Many women offering massage and entertainment services from private residences do so without formal security infrastructure, receiving clients who are largely unknown to them and operating outside regulatory frameworks that could offer a degree of traceability.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations had not issued a formal public statement on the possible connection between the three killings by the time of going to press. However, residents have made clear they will not wait indefinitely for answers.

“Women living in Zimmerman and Githurai 45 need to exercise extreme caution, particularly when hosting unknown individuals in their homes,” a community alert circulating in the area urged.

For those who knew Monicah, the loss is raw and personal. Neighbours describe a young woman who was full of life, remembered as much for her warmth as for her striking appearance. She had dreams. She had a life beyond the bare facts that now define her in death.

She deserved better. So did the women who died before her.

As investigators work to establish the facts, and as a community holds its breath wondering whether another name will be added to this grim list, one question hangs heavy in the air over Githurai 45 and Zimmerman: who is killing these women, and when will it stop?

Police are urging anyone with information related to these murders to contact the nearest police station or call the DCI hotline.