Angry residents set houses ablaze after body of child found in toilet

Residents gather outside a Kianjathi home where 9-year-old Shantel Waruguru’s body was found in a pit latrine. [Amos Kiarie, Standard]

Residents of Kianjogu village in Mathira were plunged into grief and anger following the discovery of the body of nine-year-old Shantel Waruguru in a pit latrine, days after she was reported missing.

The tragic events unfolded after villagers accused police of inaction following Shantel’s disappearance on Saturday last week.

According to residents, the child, who lived with her mother in a compound shared with her uncle and grandmother, went missing while her mother was at work. When the mother returned home that evening and could not find her daughter, a search was immediately launched, and the matter was reported to the police.

The residents say that despite reporting the disappearance, no immediate action was taken, prompting growing frustration within the community.

On Monday evening, residents staged demonstrations along the busy Nanyuki–Nairobi highway after suspecting that her body might have been dumped in Hohwee Dam, located near her home along the highway.

Peter Njuguna, the suspect. [Courtesy, DCI]

They demanded urgent intervention and intensified efforts to trace the missing girl. The protests went on for hours, with locals expressing fears for the child’s safety and accusing authorities of treating the case casually.

On Tuesday morning, the situation escalated as angry residents decided to take matters into their own hands. They began combing the homestead where Shantel lived and the surrounding areas in search of clues.

Attention soon turned to a pit latrine within the compound, which residents found locked with a padlock and emitting a foul smell. Suspecting the worst, they broke the lock and discovered the child’s body inside.

The shocking discovery sparked outrage, with residents immediately turning their anger toward the child’s uncle, whom they named as the main suspect. They claimed the uncle lived in the same compound and was among the last people to see the girl before she disappeared. They also accused the girl’s grandmother of withholding information about the suspect’s whereabouts after Shantel went missing.

Fire razes the homes of suspect Peter Njuguna and his mother in Kianjathi after residents react to Shantel Waruguru’s killing. [Amos Kiarie, Standard]

In their fury, residents set ablaze the houses belonging to the suspected uncle and the child’s mother. When firefighters arrived to help retrieve the body and contain the fires, they were chased away by the crowd, who resisted any attempt to put out the flames.

After the body was finally removed from the pit latrine, the enraged residents took it and began marching toward Kiamachibi Police Station to demand justice. The procession, which lasted about 30 minutes, was eventually intercepted by police officers, who dispersed the crowd and took custody of the body.

According to Lucy Njaraba, a neighbor, the girl went missing on Saturday, triggering anxiety among residents who immediately feared for her safety. She added that the community repeatedly raised concerns but felt their cries were ignored, deepening frustration and mistrust toward law enforcement.

“This is too painful for us, especially because this is not the first incident. We reported early, but nothing was done. Even when we came out to demonstrate peacefully, police lobbed teargas at us. As parents, we must stop defending our children when they commit crimes and instead protect innocent children," she said.

George Kariuki said demonstrations by villagers were peaceful and meant to push authorities into taking swift action. He noted that residents were united by concern for the missing child and frustration over what they perceived as official silence.

“We were demonstrating peacefully, asking for help and action, but instead of listening to us, the police lobbed teargas. That is what angered people even more,” he said.

For Martha Wairimu Munyaka, the tragedy reflects a broader failure in how missing persons cases are handled. She said residents did their best to involve authorities immediately after the girl disappeared, but felt abandoned.

Munyaka explained that after waiting with no clear response, the residents decided to conduct their own search, driven by desperation and fear. It was during these efforts, she said, that the body was eventually discovered.

"I am extremely angry and heartbroken. We reported the girl missing to the authorities, but nothing was done to help us. When we saw that no action was being taken, the community decided to take matters into our own hands. We conducted our own investigations, and it was through that effort that we finally discovered where her body had been hidden. This is a tragedy that should never happen again, and it is a painful reminder that children’s safety must always be taken seriously," she said.

The main suspect, the girl’s uncle, is now in police custody as investigations into the killing continue.