- Francisca Wanja Thuranira was found dead with multiple stab wounds in Umoja II.
- Detectives are pursuing a man reportedly seen entering the apartment block with her.
- Her family is demanding justice as police examine phone records and other digital evidence.
A family in Meru County is mourning the death of their 21-year-old daughter, Francisca Wanja Thuranira, who was found dead in an apartment in Umoja II, Nairobi.
Francisca was discovered on Tuesday, September 8, with multiple stab wounds in a two-bedroom apartment where she had been staying.
Police officers from Buruburu Police Station, together with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have launched investigations into the killing and are pursuing a man said to have been known to the deceased.
According to family members, Francisca had moved to Nairobi after completing her secondary education in pursuit of a career in the beauty industry. She was described as a young woman determined to improve her family’s financial circumstances.
Her sister, Alice Thuranira, and aunt, Agrippina Meme, said Francisca had experienced frequent disagreements with her estranged boyfriend, whom they described as short-tempered.
The family said the strained relationship had become a source of concern and that Francisca had, at one point, moved away from her apartment to seek refuge at her aunt’s home in Umoja II.
Discovery of the body
The circumstances surrounding her death began to unfold on Tuesday morning when Ms Meme became concerned after her calls and messages to Francisca went unanswered.
She reportedly asked a neighbour to check on the apartment.
The neighbour found the main door unlocked and slightly open before discovering Francisca lying unresponsive on the lower deck of a double-decker bed.
A pool of blood was found around her body, prompting the neighbour to raise the alarm.
Police and forensic investigators subsequently visited the scene and documented the apartment as part of investigations. A kitchen knife reportedly stained with blood was recovered from the scene.
Preliminary investigations indicated that Francisca had sustained several stab wounds, with family members saying the postmortem established eight wounds to the chest.
The exact circumstances leading to the killing remain under investigation.
Detectives trace man’s movements
Residents and the building’s caretaker, James Munyeki, reportedly told investigators that Francisca had been seen entering the apartment block with a man at about 10am that morning.
Detectives are investigating the man’s identity and movements before and after Francisca was killed.
Investigators are also examining phone records and other digital evidence as they seek to establish the sequence of events leading to the killing.
According to the family, Francisca’s estranged boyfriend had made several attempts to reach her by phone before the incident.
Police have not publicly disclosed details of the ongoing manhunt or confirmed the identity of a suspect.
Francisca’s body remains at the mortuary following a postmortem examination at Mama Lucy Kibaki Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Her family is expected to transport the body to Meru County for burial as they await the conclusion of police investigations.
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The killing has left relatives and friends demanding justice as detectives continue to piece together the events that led to the young woman’s death.
The case is being investigated as murder.
By Our Reporter
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