Murder most foul: Heavily pregnant teacher killed in Rongai while visiting in-laws City News

• A heavily pregnant Wangechi had previously disagreed with her in-laws before she was invited by her mother-in-law
• Despite previous warnings by her husband, she visited the in-laws
• A pathologist’s report indicated that she was strangled to death

The mysterious murder of heavily pregnant Priscilla Wangechi at her father-in-law’s home in Rongai has left residents in shock.

The body of the six-month pregnant woman was found lying in foetal position with a rope around her neck, her mouth taped, and the rope tied to a bedpost.

According to a source, a jovial Wangechi had travelled from her Dandora home the previous day after receiving an invite from her mother-in-law. She wanted her assistance in preparing food for her jumuiya group at the family home in Nkoro.

Wangechi who was expecting twins had previously disagreed with her in-laws but still honoured the call after her aunt Lydiah Wanjiru saw no harm in the invite.

Our source reveals that the private school teacher would spend every weekend at the husband’s home in Rongai even though he was in Dubai; until January 29 when a robbery took place and Wangechi was blamed for not being at home when a gas cylinder and TV were stolen. This incident strained the once good relationship and she decided to keep off.

But on Saturday, February 10, Wangechi arrived in Rongai around 4pm. According to her cousin, Diana Gachengo, the fatigued Wangechi decided to take a nap in her sister-in-law’s house. She didn’t eat anything.

“The in-laws claim Wangechi later decided to go to her husband’s house which is in the same compound and they didn’t see her again until Sunday morning,” Gachengo told The Nairobian, adding that, “When they didn’t see her by evening, they went to check on her, only to find her dead.”

Peter Mwaura, Wangechi’s father-in-law, reported the death at Nkoroi Police Post the following day at 6pm.

Wangechi’s family was informed on February 11 at 10am after cops visited the scene. They claimed Wangechi committed suicide, a narrative denounced by Wangechi’s family.

“Why would a suicidal person spread a bedsheet on the floor, kneel on it, tie her neck with a rope and attach it to a bed post, and then use duct tape to cover her mouth?” poses Gachengo.

Dead men tell no tales. Wangechi’s family was not convinced and hired a pathologist.

The pathologist’s report in our possession reveals that Wangechi had been strangled to death; cause of death was ligature strangulation with chest compression. The strangulation was inconsistent with death by hanging. 

The pathologist also put her time of death at Saturday night at 10:30pm around the time Wangechi was allegedly at her sister-in-law’s house.

“We all knew there was a bit of friction between her and her in-laws. Her husband had warned her against stepping into their family home,” claims Gachengo.

When The Nairobian showed Mwaura, the deceased’s father-in-law, the pathologist’s report, he went mute. His son Morris Mbugua who is Wangechi’s husband, is away working in Dubai.

Last year, Mbugua came home for a three-month holiday from August and the couple lived together in Mbugua’s house in his father’s compound.

“In September, Mbugua and his brothers came to our village to pay Wangechi’s bride price. They were already living together as husband and wife in Rongai. Wangechi commuted daily from Rongai to Dandora,” explains Gachengo.

Wangechi met Morris Mbugua in 2011 at the Thika Technical College where they both enrolled for a catering course. A relationship blossomed and in 2014, Wangechi decided that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in a kitchen and applied for a teaching course at Thogoto Teachers College.

She graduated in 2016 as a P1 teacher. Her affair with Mbugua had grown stronger, even though Mbugua was now working and living in Dubai.