Joy Kanini Murder: DCI Arrests Prime Suspect John Nderitu Fleeing Toward Uganda

DCI Homicide detectives have arrested John Nderitu Mureithi, the prime suspect in the murder of 25-year-old Joy Kanini Gathu, whose dismembered remains were found in Nyeri County’s Ngangarithi Estate last month.

He was picked up on the night of July 10 along the Nanyuki-Isiolo Road in Meru County, allegedly attempting to cross into Uganda. He’s expected in court on July 13.

Nderitu, described as Kanini’s boyfriend, had accompanied her family to a Nyeri police station to report her missing after she went unreachable. During that visit, he stepped out under the pretence of taking a call and never returned. His phone went dark from that point on, according to Capital FM’s report on the arrest.

What investigators say happened

DCI says Nderitu told investigators, during questioning, that a confrontation between him and Kanini inside his house on June 9 turned fatal, and that he dismembered her body afterward and disposed of the remains across multiple locations. These are allegations from the ongoing investigation, not a court finding, he has not yet been formally charged or tried.

A postmortem couldn’t conclusively determine the exact cause of death because some body parts, including her head, remain unrecovered. The family’s lawyer said the exam pointed to death from excessive bleeding and confirmed a saw had been used to dismember the body.

Identifying her

Kanini’s parents initially couldn’t confirm the remains were their daughter’s. Her father, Pastor Peter Gathu, recognised a birthmark on the torso’s chest. Her mother later identified one of the recovered legs by another mark she remembered. DNA testing later confirmed the family’s identification.

Investigators recovered four phones from Nderitu at the time of arrest, including one belonging to Kanini, now secured as a key exhibit. DCI says it’s seeking custodial orders to continue the investigation and extended condolences to Kanini’s family.