Murang’a principal's wife held after body found in coffee farm

Ichachiri secondary school Principal Jane Mbuthi when she appeared before Murang'a court as the police sought for more time to complete investigations. She was arrested in connection with the disappearance of her husband Solomon Mwangi who was the Principal of Kiru Boys High School. PHOTO: BONIFACE GIKANDI

Police are holding the wife of a Murang’a secondary school principal who was found dead a week after he went missing.

The body of Solomon Mwangi, the principal of Kiru Boys Secondary School, was found in a coffee plantation on Friday. 

It had been dumped at Juja-Kiahuria Dam near Weteithie shopping centre in Thika and showed signs of strangulation.

The suspect, Jane Mbuthi, a principal at Ichachiri Boys’ High School in Kiambu County, is being held.

It emerged that a prime suspect picked her husband from his school in Mathioya using a hired car.

Witnesses at the school told police they noticed the car used to pick Mr Mwangi was different from the one they are used to.

Yesterday, Principal Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi allowed the police to hold her for seven days to complete investigations. Detectives had gone to court seeking orders to hold her for 14 days.

Police told the media some of the testimonies witnesses have given are contradictory.

Officers from Juja Police Station took the body to City Mortuary on Sunday where it was positively identified by relatives. The body was badly bruised on the face and neck, and some teeth were missing. The hands were tied together with a rope.

Sources said the police were also trying to establish whether a dropped Mwangi off at Witeithie stage along the Thika-Nairobi highway as claimed. It is believed that a suspect may have taken her husband to unknown people in Witeithie.

Some reports attributed to security guards at Kiru Boys Secondary say there was some suspicious movement in Mwangi’s house. One of the suspects had been seen at the house on Friday night and is said to have left shortly before 1am. She came back and left the following day.

The police are also investigating a dealer who Mwangi had reportedly asked to import a car for him. Detectives are also looking for the hired car the woman used to go to Mwangi’s house on Friday night.

Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia described Mwangi as one of the most promising principals. She said he was a go-getter with a track record for turning around schools he was sent to head. “He was an outstanding teacher, mentor and manager with a bright future,” she said.

The couple had four children. The oldest, a girl aged 17, is a first-year student at the University of Nairobi. They also had twins who are in Form Two. The youngest is seven years old.