Woman Who Killed Lover In Airbnb and Disguised It as Mob Justice Charged

A woman accused of killing her lover in an Airbnb three years ago and reporting the incident as mob justice was arraigned in court on Thursday to face murder charges.

Cecilia Wangari Karisa, however, did not enter a plea as she had not undergone a mental assessment test, a mandatory requirement for all murder suspects before taking a plea.

According to the charge sheet, Wangari allegedly murdered Maxwel Wamwea on March 10, 2022, at Thome Estate within Kasarani Sub-County in Nairobi.

Wangari was scheduled to take a plea today, but the prosecution requested the court to defer the plea due to the pending mental assessment. The prosecution noted that Cecilia had not undergone the mental evaluation, a procedure adopted by Kenyan courts to determine a capital offender’s mental capability to stand trial.

She is suspected of colluding with another suspect, who is yet to be arrested, to murder the late Maxwel.

Initially, the case was reported to the Kasarani Police Station as a mob justice incident. However, according to the police, fresh investigations were initiated after a complaint letter was received on November 19, 2023, prompting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to reopen the case.

After reviewing the file, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) recommended that Wangari, along with another suspect still at large, be charged with the murder of the deceased.

Wangari was apprehended at her hideout in an Airbnb in Thindigwa, Kiambu County.

The case will proceed on March 10, 2025.