Molo: Suspect in brutal murder, beheading of Form 4 student arrested

Tunoi Kevin 08:15 - 06 October 2026

The suspect, Walter Kipkoech, is said to have disappeared almost immediately after the death of 18-year-old Joy Wangui, a Form Four pupil at Molo Secondary School.

The suspect allegedly murdered the student and left a chilling note written in her blood on the wall, reading: "I love you Joy, but never cheat, am sorry."

A man who has been on the run after the horrific murder of a secondary school student in Molo has been arrested.

The suspect was nabbed after detectives finally closed in on him following an extensive search.

According to the DCI, officers tracked down 23-year-old Walter Kipkoech to a hideout in Lagwenda village, Kuresoi North, bringing an end to his time on the run.

Reports indicate that Kipkoech vanished almost immediately after 18-year-old Joy Wangui, a Form Four pupil at Molo Secondary School, passed away, with her body discovered inside a residence in the Kiambaa area of Moto Location.

𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗟𝗢 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 A murder suspect who went on the run after the brutal killing of a Form Four student in Molo has been arrested, following a sustained manhunt by detectives. The suspect, Walter Kipkoech, 23, was traced to a hideout in Lagwenda village, Kuresoi North, where detectives from Molo, alongside their counterparts from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) at the Regional Criminal Investigations Headquarters, Rift Valley, smoked him out of his hideout. Kipkoech had reportedly fled immediately after the killing of 18-year-old Joy Wangui, a Form Four student at Molo Secondary School, whose lifeless body was discovered inside a house in Kiambaa area, Moto Location. Her brother, who had briefly left home for a nearby shop, returned to a horrifying scene: his sister lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen, her head severed from the body. The responding detectives found the murder weapon, an axe, a panga and two knives, all bearing bloodstains, near the body. The deceased’s head was later discovered in the corridor, where a message had allegedly been scrawled on the wall using blood: “I love you Joy but never cheat, am sorry.” Preliminary investigations established that Kipkoech was the deceased’s boyfriend, as detectives pursued a possible relationship dispute as the motive for the killing. When the long arm of the law finally caught up with him, Kipkoech was wearing a blood-stained boxer, a white T-shirt bearing the deceased’s name at the hem, and black jeans with visible dry blood stains. The suspect was escorted to Molo Police Station, where he is undergoing processing pending arraignment, as detectives continue with investigations as they piece together the events leading to the horrific killing. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) conveys its deepest condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the late Joy Wangui, whose life was tragically cut short. As the family grieves this devastating loss, the DCI remains resolute in its pursuit of justice and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all circumstances surrounding her death are brought to light and that whoever is found responsible faces the full force of the law. #FichuaKwaDCI. Call 0800 722 203 (Toll-free) or WhatsApp at 0709 570 000 to report anonymously. Usiogope!
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) October 6, 2026

Her own brother, who had stepped out momentarily to a nearby shop, made the discovery.

What greeted him on his return was a scene of utter devastation: his sister's body lying in a pool of blood within the kitchen, decapitated.

Investigators who arrived at the scene recovered several weapons near where the body lay, including an axe, a panga and two knives, all stained with blood.

Her severed head was later found in the corridor of the house. Chillingly, a note had apparently been written on the wall in blood, reading: "I love you Joy but never cheat, am sorry."

Early findings from the investigation revealed that Kipkoech had been romantically involved with the victim, with police now exploring the possibility that a dispute between the pair may have driven the attack.

By the time he was finally apprehended, Kipkoech was found wearing a bloodied pair of boxers, a white T-shirt with the victim's name printed along the hem, and a pair of black jeans marked with dried bloodstains, according to the DCI.

He has since been taken to Molo Police Station, where he remains in custody awaiting arraignment, as detectives continue working to establish the full sequence of events that led to the killing.

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