Raped and Mutilated: Investigation Underway in Kirinyaga Student Murder

Kirinyaga police are investigating the killing of a 22-year-old college student whose body was found in a coffee plantation a week after she went missing.

Jackline Ruguru disappeared on 16 November after leaving her family home in Ngiriambu village, Gichugu Constituency, to buy body lotion in nearby Kianyaga town. She did not return, and villagers later discovered her decomposing body in the Ngotho area. 

Police said she had been sexually assaulted, and her right hand and breast had been severed and removed. Her father, Moses Kariuki Kuria, described her as a determined student and the youngest of three siblings. 

He said the family wants clear answers about what happened and who was responsible. Neighbours and relatives expressed shock at the brutality of the attack, noting their concern for the safety of women travelling alone for routine errands in rural areas.

Kirinyaga East Sub-County Police Commander Johnson Wachira confirmed that detectives are following leads but urged the public not to speculate. The body was taken to Kerugoya Referral Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination as investigators work to establish the sequence of events. 

Statements have been recorded from the family and several community members, though no arrests have been made.