Kirinyaga teachers demand justice over murder of colleague

Kuppet members from Kirinyaga protest over the murder of Betty Wanjiru, a JSS teacher, in Wang'uru /ALICE WAITHERA

Teachers in Kirinyaga have threatened to boycott classes starting Monday next week if the government fails to arrest a suspect linked to the killing of a junior secondary school teacher in Mwea.

The educators, who are members of Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), stormed Wang’uru police station demanding swift action over the murder of Betty Wanjiru.

She was reportedly killed in a brutal attack by her lover and her body dumped along River Nyamindi before the suspect fled.

The incident has sparked outrage among teachers and the community, with many decrying what they describe as delayed justice.

“We do not want stories. We want the person who killed our fellow teacher to be arrested and put behind bars,” teacher Alex Muthie said.

Family members, led by her brother Mwangi Nyaga, expressed pain and frustration, accusing authorities of failing to act with urgency.

He said the loss has devastated the family noting Wanjiru leaves behind a child who has now become an orphan.

“My mother and sister are in such deep shock they are barely eating. This incident has left us speechless,” Nyaga said.

He said the suspect is still at large despite reports he has been spotted and faulted investigators for delays, including taking too long to obtain and circulate the suspect’s photograph.

“The suspect is still out there. We have even shared his photo ourselves but nothing has been done. Please do your work and apprehend him,” Nyaga said.

A postmortem conducted at Kibugi mortuary in Kutus on Monday confirmed Wanjiru was killed by blunt-force trauma that led to internal bleeding.

Teachers, who gathered at the police station, said the killing came amid growing concerns over gender-based violence targeting women.

They cited a recent rape incident involving another teacher in Gitwe area, saying such cases have been met with silence and inaction, further fuelling anger within the profession.

Teacher Ashford Gitonga said the education sector and the community had suffered a significant loss, noting it takes years to train a professional teacher and warning that continued inaction could lead to the loss of more professionals across sectors.

“It takes many years to train a teacher and losing one in such a manner is a loss not just to the family but to the entire community,” he said.

Teacher Alex Muthie said they had met with officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and local police commanders who assured them investigations were ongoing, but expressed frustration over the lack of visible progress.

“Up to now, we have not seen the suspect’s photo on the DCI platform so it can circulate and help in the arrest, even if he flees to other areas,” he said.

Muthie said teachers have issued firm demands, including the immediate arrest of the suspect, warning that failure to act would trigger a boycott and disruption of transport in Kirinyaga.

“If the suspect is not arrested, we will not go to school on Monday, and we will paralyse transport in Kirinyaga until he is apprehended,” he said.

Wilkister Wanjiru, also a teacher, condemned the killing as a case of gender-based violence and femicide, calling for preventive measures and stronger government intervention.

“Security is a necessary service. After all the taxes we pay, the government must ensure capacity is increased and justice is delivered,” she said.

Police have assured the teachers and the family that investigations are ongoing and efforts are underway to track down the suspect.

But the teachers maintain they will not allow Wanjiru’s burial, scheduled for Tuesday next week, to proceed unless the suspect is arrested, underscoring the urgency of their demands.

They said when prominent personalities are murdered, police spring into action and apprehend the suspects swiftly wondering why it takes so long when it involves a common member of the community.