In the ongoing trial at the Milimani High Court, John Matara is the prime suspect in the murder of Nairobi socialite Starlet Wahu, found dead on January 4, 2024, in a short-stay apartment in Papino Apartments, South B. On the night of January 3, evidence presented in court by several witnesses has connected Matara to the crime through CCTV footage, bloodstains, and testimonies of apartment guards.
One key testimony came from Charity Muthoni Irungu, a host of short-stay accommodation, who recounted how Matara arrived around 5:50 pm, requested an apartment with a balcony, paid in cash, and settled in. Later that evening, she received word from a security guard that Matara had left the apartment wrapped in a towel soaked in blood.
Security guard Joseph Ndung’u testified that he saw a man matching Matara’s description – wearing a blue T-shirt, khaki trousers, a black cap, and a white towel – exiting Papino Apartments with what appeared to be blood stains on his trousers. Ndung’u and another guard, George Gitau, reviewed CCTV footage which showed the man exiting from the fourth floor of the apartment block, and a trail of blood leading to apartment Y32. The door to apartment Y32 was locked; upon opening, they found Wahu’s body lying in a pool of blood, with evident injuries; blood stains extended from the bedroom to the sitting room.
Another witness, clinical officer Isaiah Olang, described how Matara, injured that night with stab wounds in his thigh and hand, was treated at South B Hospital, then referred to Mbagathi Hospital. He appeared intoxicated and had visible wounds, consistent with what security guards said they saw.
Police constable Elizabeth Njuguna, a forensic video analyst, testified that she reviewed multiple CCTV video clips and still images from the night. The recordings show a man and woman entering the apartment together, and later the man alone walking in the corridor; footage also shows what looks like a blood stain on his leg, matching the timing and clothing description given by other witnesses.
Matara has pleaded not guilty. His defence has objected to some of the evidence, especially early disclosure of the CCTV footage, but the court has allowed its admission in upcoming hearings.
