Airbnb owner recounts chilling scene of Starlet Wahu's murder

Prime suspect in the murder of socialite Starlet Wahu, John Matara, at the Milimani High Court, Nairobi, on July 28, 2025. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard] An Airbnb owner on Monday gave a chilling testimony at the Milimani High Court recounting the horrifying moment she found socialite Starlet Wahu's body lying in a pool of blood near the entrance of a South B apartment in Nair. Testifying before Justice Alexander Muteti at the Milimani High Court, Jane Wairimu Mutugi, an Airbnb operator and salon owner in South B, narrated to court what she encountered on the night of January 3, 2024. "When officers broke the door, I saw the woman (Wahu), her face was lying down and she was squatting near the door. From where I stood, I could see blood everywhere inside the house," said Wairimu. Wairimu, who owns several Airbnb units in South B, was testifying as the fifth prosecution witness in the murder trial of John Matara, the man accused of killing Wahu on January 3, 2024, at Papino Apartments, Room Y32. Led State prosecutor Mercy Njoroge, Wairimu detailed a sequence of events that started with what seemed like a routine booking and ended in a murder scene that would haunt her forever. Wairimu told Justice Muteti that at around 5 pm, she received a call from a number she did not recognise. "He called using an Airbnb number and introduced himself as someone looking for an Airbnb," Wairimu recalled. "We switched to WhatsApp. He asked for photos of available rooms. I sent one without a balcony, but he insisted on a unit that had a balcony," she added. She sent him photos of a unit that matched his request, although it was not hers. "That house belonged to Charity Muthoni, but I handled the booking," she explained. The man, who later turned out to be Matara, agreed to pay Sh3,200 for a night's stay. Wairimu gave him directions to the Papino building and instructed him to proceed to Room Y32, located on the fourth floor. "He asked for the door code, but I told him it wasn't locked as the cleaner had just left room," she said. Matara opted to pay in cash, prompting Wairimu to send her cleaner, Angelica Muthoni, to collect the money. "I told Angelica (the cleaner) to collect the money, keep Sh200 for herself, and deliver Sh3,000 to Charity, who owned the unit," Wairimu said. "Angelica later confirmed she had collected the money from the man." Wairimu testified that everything seemed routine until hours later when she received a disturbing call from Charity. "At around 9 pm, Charity called me in a panic and said the guest had just left the building wearing a towel soaked in blood," she told the court. Shocked and confused, Wairimu reported the matter at South B Hazina Police Station and requested assistance. Together with officers and Charity, they proceeded to the apartment to check on the situation. Upon arrival, they found the door locked from inside. She told court that officers had to force it open. "When police broke the door, I was standing right there. That's when I saw her Wahu. Her face was lying down... she was squatting near the door. She wasn't moving. She wasn't talking," Wairimu testified. Wairimu never stepped into the room, but what she saw from the doorway has stayed with her. "The house was full of blood... blood was everywhere. It was clear something terrible had happened," she said. The woman was unresponsive and looked dead at the scene. Her body was later moved to Nairobi Funeral Home, and forensic teams took over the investigation. After witnessing the gruesome discovery, Wairimu told the court that she began desperately trying to reach the man she had earlier booked into the apartment. "I called him about ten times. He didn't answer. ''When I called again, the eleventh time, a woman picked up and said the owner of the phone was at South B Hospital," she told the court. Wairimu pressed further, and the woman later claimed Matara had been referred to Mbagathi Hospital for treatment. "We sent a boda boda rider to check South B Hospital, and he confirmed Matara had been transferred," she said. Wairimu, Charity, and police officers proceeded to Mbagathi Hospital, where they found Matara undergoing treatment. "Charity recognised him immediately as he was being treated by a doctor, he was in a towel soaked in blood. It was the same man she had seen earlier when he arrived at the Airbnb. Without wasting time, police arrested him on the spot and went with him at police station," testified Wairimu. She then pointed to the dock. "The person who was arrested that night is the same person seated here today, John Matara," she said confidently. The trial resumes tomorrow, with CCTV footage and photos of the scene of the crime expected to be tendered in court.

Airbnb owner recounts chilling scene of Starlet Wahu's murder

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