Maribel Kapolon murder: Was it a case of love gone sour?

Maribel Kapolon. [photo, courtesy]

Police are investigating senior magistrate Caroline Kemei’s ex-lover, who is being questioned over the murder of her daughter.

Kemei’s daughter, Maribel Kapolon’s mutilated and decomposing body was found in Upper Imenti on September 16.

The suspect, Benson Kimathi Marangu, The Nairobian has learnt, was a former Prisons officer who worked in Meru.

He entered the service in 2005 and retired on April 10, 2017.

It has been reported that Marangu and Kemei fell out under unclear circumstances.

Marangu met Kemei while she was working in Maua courts as a senior resident magistrate. He was based in Kangeta at the time.

One thing reportedly led to another and soon, the two were inseparable.

Sources close to the two claim that Kemei and Marangu had parted ways with their respective partners before they started dating.

 Marangu’s wife, who was receiving child upkeep support from him is claimed to have moved on with another man.

According to former colleagues of the ex-Prisons officer, child support contribution almost wiped out  Marangu’s monthly earnings.

“He was frustrated and was at his wit’s end. He was obviously relieved when he met and fell in love with the dashing magistrate,” said a former colleague.

Marangu, who is from Kianjai area in Tigania West is said to have taken a Sacco loan of over Sh2 million.

According to police records, Kapolon went missing on September 6, 2018 at around 5pm after she was dropped by the school bus.

Preliminary reports given to the police indicate the girl was picked by a man known to her near a fuel station along the Meru town-Makutano road.

“The man called her and she rushed to him shouting ‘habari uncle.’ There was no commotion hence her colleagues and those in nearby shops could not suspect anything sinister. Detectives have been questioning family members to unearth the motive of the kidnappers,” said North Imenti deputy county commissioner Isaac Masinde.

After the incident, a Sh500,000 ransom call was made to the family, but there was no follow-up over payment.