Detectives have arrested a man accused of killing his 60-year-old mother in Nyandarua County, Kenya.
The arrest followed a multi-agency investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
The victim, 60-year-old Millicent Wahura Mwangi, was reported missing in November 2025. Initial inquiries raised suspicions, prompting police to widen their search.
DCI in a statement on Wednesday disclosed that passers-by stumbled upon a female torso stuffed in a sack on December 24.
The family positively identified the torso as that of their missing mother.
Investigators trailed down and arrested the prime suspect, Benson Maina Mwangi, the deceased’s second-born son, on November 20, 2025, at his hideout.
“Detectives have intensified investigations into the m8rder of 60-year-old Millicent Wahura Mwangi, who was brutally k!lled on November 11, 2025, at Mwireri village in Olkalou, Nyandarua Central Sub-County,” the statement read.
“What was first reported at Olkalou Police Station as a missing person case soon took a grim twist after preliminary findings pointed to foul play.
“Three days later, on November 14, 2025, passers-by at Rumathi village, about 37 kilometres away from Olkalou, along the Malewa–Kipipiri road, stumbled upon a female torso stuffed in a sack, clad in a whitish blouse with blue and black stripes, and dumped by the roadside.
“Police officers from Kipipiri Police Station rushed to the scene, meticulously documented it, and mounted a search for the missing body parts, but the effort bore no fruit. The torso was moved to JM Kariuki Memorial Funeral Home for preservation, identification, and autopsy.
“On November 15, detectives notified the family about the discovery. In efforts to find their missing mother, the family later visited the facility, positively identifying the torso as that of their missing mother, bringing a painful end to their search.
“With the case now confirmed as murder, detectives from the DCI Homicide Investigations Unit took over the probe, and working jointly with Nyandarua Central Sub-County detectives, a painstaking manhunt was launched for the culprit.
“Through forensic intelligence, investigators trailed down and arrested the prime suspect, Benson Maina Mwangi, the deceased’s second-born son, on November 20, 2025, at his hideout in Kamulu.
“He was processed and arraigned before the SPM’s Court in Olkalou on November 24, 2025, where detectives secured 21-day custodial orders. He remains in custody pending mention on January 19, 2026.
“Yesterday, December 23, 2025, homicide detectives and forensic experts conducted a scene re-enactment exercise. Guided by the suspect, the team proceeded to River Malewa in Nyandarua Central, where an underwater search led to the recovery of crucial exhibits, among them a machete believed to be the murder weapon, a bedsheet, a blanket, and other items the suspect disposed of after k!lling his mother.
“Investigations continue as detectives piece together the final moments of the deceased and build a watertight case to ensure justice is served.”
