Why Jane Wanjiru, 30, found dead after night out with friends in Naivasha

On Monday, October 6, 2025, the body of 30-year-old Jane Wanjiru, a familiar M-Pesa operator in Naivasha town, was found near Delamere Farm, not far from the bustling Nakuru–Nairobi Highway.

This happens five months after the murder of another M-Pesa agent in Nakuru town, and now another family is in mourning. Police reports suggest that initial investigations show the woman was raped and murdered and later left at the scene, indicating she was likely killed somewhere else before being brought to that location.

In the morning, some people on their way to work spotted something on the roadside that turned out to be a body. As they got nearer, they noticed it was a woman’s body.

The police quickly responded to the unfolding situation, dispatching officers from Naivasha Police Station to the scene. They set up a perimeter around the area while detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) started searching the scene for clues.

Antony Keter, the police commander for Naivasha sub-County, mentioned that initial investigations show the deceased was hanging out with friends at an entertainment spot in Gilgil sub-County before her body was discovered.

He mentioned that Wanjiru, from Nyandarua County, was hanging out with friends, and detectives are working on finding out who they are to assist with the ongoing investigation.

As soon as the situation unfolded, the police were called in, and officers from Naivasha Police Station quickly showed up at the scene. They set up a perimeter around the area while detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) started searching the scene for clues.

Naivasha sub-County police commander Antony Keter shared that early investigations show the deceased was hanging out with her friends at an entertainment spot in Gilgil sub-County before her body was discovered.

He mentioned that Wanjiru, from Nyandarua County, was hanging out with friends, and detectives are working on finding out who they are to assist with the ongoing investigation.

“There were no bruises on the body; could it be that she was poisoned?” We still need to do a postmortem, and that will help us figure out the cause of death, which is vital for the investigation. “The DCI detectives are taking care of it,” he said.

Wanjiru is often described by her friends as a humble, hard-working, and cheerful woman who ran an M-Pesa kiosk in Naivasha for many years.

A friend, who preferred to stay anonymous, shared that on Sunday, Wanjiru, a mom of one, stepped out of her house and headed to a salon in Naivasha town to get her hair done.

So, there she was at the salon, and even before the hairstylist could wrap up the plaiting, her phone started buzzing with calls from this one number that just wouldn’t let up, asking her to meet.

When the calls got too much to handle, Wanjiru apparently asked the woman if she could leave, assuring her that she’d be back on Monday.

“After the salon, she headed over to meet the person.” That was the final moment anyone saw her alive. She just never returned to braid her hair. They found her body days later, just left by the side of the road along the highway. “We’re really asking the police to look into this quickly,” she said.

During a phone interview, John Kinuthia, the chairperson of the Naivasha GBV cluster group, expressed concern about the increasing cases of femicide. He pointed out that at least four women have been killed in the last five months under mysterious circumstances.

“We’re really concerned about the increasing number of murders aimed at women; almost all the victims were in their mid-30s.” He mentioned that they are strongly urging the detectives to look into the matter and catch those responsible.