A 17-year-old girl accused of killing a 3-year-old girl in the Posho Mill area of Bahati, Nakuru reportedly said she killed the child simply because she hated her.
Regina Wangui Mwangi, the mother of the late Margret Wanjiru, opened up about the heartbreaking moments leading up to her daughter’s death on Sunday, June 22. What began as a normal morning at church quickly spiraled into a nightmare no parent should ever have to endure.
A Sweet Request, Then Silence
That morning, Ms. Wangui had taken both Wanjiru and her 8-year-old son to the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Shalom Mchanganyiko for Sunday service. As the service continued, Wanjiru approached her mother and asked for a few coins to buy sweets.
“I gave her some coins and she left, but she never came back. I assumed she was outside playing with her friends,” Ms. Wangui said.
Unbeknownst to her, this would be the last time she saw her daughter alive.
That day, the church had also organized its annual medical camp and encouraged congregants to take part. After attending a brief meeting following the service, Ms. Wangui proceeded to the health check-up station, leaving her two children playing in the church compound.
When she returned, she was surprised to find only her son still playing.
“When I asked him about his sister, he said he thought they were still together,” she recalled in an interview with the Nation.
Panic quickly set in. Together with others, Ms. Wangui began searching the church grounds, but Wanjiru was nowhere to be found.
Tragic Discovery Near Church Grounds
While standing at the church’s main gate, Ms. Wangui overheard two men asking if anyone was missing a child. They described a girl in a purple trench coat and blue pants, clothing that matched what Wanjiru had worn to church that day.
The men said she had been found lying a short distance away from the church, appearing to be asleep.
Rushing to the scene, Ms. Wangui’s worst fears came true.
“I was confused. How could my daughter be dead just like that?” she said. “I ran to check if she had been sexually assaulted. She wasn’t, but she was unresponsive, and thick saliva was coming from her mouth.”
Screaming for help, she alerted medics from the church’s ongoing health camp. They confirmed the little girl still had a faint pulse and rushed her to Kenlands Hospital.
Sadly, Wanjiru was declared dead on arrival. Her body was later transferred to the PNN mortuary.
CCTV Footage Uncovers the Grim Truth
The area chief promptly alerted police, who launched an investigation. Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reviewed CCTV footage from nearby buildings.
What they found was chilling.
The footage showed the 17-year-old girl, identified as Lizz Njeri Mwangi, leading Wanjiru away from the church compound. Moments later, the teen was captured squatting down and strangling the child using a piece of cloth approximately 50 meters from the church.
Before walking away, she turned Wanjiru’s body twice, seemingly to confirm she was dead.
What shocked many even more was that the suspect remained at the scene as a crowd gathered around the child’s body. She stood silently, watching the chaos unfold without showing any emotion.
Later, Sunday school teachers identified the suspect’s brother, a lead that guided detectives to her home in Judea Village, Menengai Sub-Location, within Kiamaina Ward., where they arrested her.
A Grieving Mother Seeks Answers
At the police station, Ms. Wangui confronted the girl, desperate to understand why her child had been targeted.
“I asked her if she knew me and she said she always sees me at church with my daughter,” Ms. Wangui said. “When I asked why she killed her, she simply said she hated my child since she started coming to our church.”
Ms. Wangui remains devastated and bewildered. Other parents told her the teen often played with younger children and even bought them sweets, including Wanjiru.
“I don’t understand why she did this,” she said.
Wanjiru had only recently joined a playgroup and was already showing a deep love for school. Her mother described her as humble, joyful, and affectionate – a child who brought light to everyone around her.
“She was my soft spot,” said Ms. Wangui. “We had a special bond and I want to know what made this girl do such a thing. Was she sent by someone? What was the motive? It won’t bring my daughter back, but it will help us find closure”
Though she knows no explanation can undo the loss, she hopes the investigation will bring clarity and help the family find some form of closure.
“A child killing another child is not normal,” she added.
Legal Proceedings to Follow Under Juvenile Justice System
The 17-year-old suspect is now classified as a child in need of care and protection. Before formal charges are filed, she will undergo a mandatory mental health evaluation.
Despite her age, the law holds her criminally responsible under Section 14 of the Penal Code, which covers minors aged between 12 and 17.
She will be tried under the juvenile justice system, which differs significantly from adult proceedings. Her hearings will be conducted in-camera, meaning they will be closed to the public.
If found liable, she may be committed to a borstal institution for rehabilitation rather than incarceration in a standard prison.
