- The body of 32-year-old Mercy Maina Wachinga was found inside her Lavington home in Nairobi.
- Neighbours became concerned after she was absent from the apartment complex for an extended period.
- A foul smell reportedly led the apartment management to alert the owner, after which the body was discovered.
- Police reportedly found a note inside the house that investigators believe may help establish what happened.
- Detectives from Muthangari Police Station are investigating the death, which is being treated as a suspected suicide pending further investigations.
The body of a 32-year-old woman has been discovered inside her house in Lavington, Nairobi, weeks after she was last seen by people living in the apartment complex.
Mercy Maina Wachinga was found in an advanced state of decomposition after her prolonged absence raised concern among neighbours and other residents. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, with detectives expected to establish what happened before her death.
According to a report by NTV Kenya, Wachinga was last seen interacting with residents at the apartment complex before returning to her house. She was not seen again for several weeks.
The discovery was reportedly made after residents became concerned about a foul smell coming from the house.
Musa Kombo, a manager at For Homes apartment, said he was alerted about the smell before contacting the owner of the property. The concerns eventually led to the house being accessed, where Wachinga’s body was found.
“I called the apartment owner after I was informed of a foul smell coming from the house,” Kombo said.
The discovery came after the woman had remained inside the residence for an extended period without being noticed. Her body was subsequently taken away as police began investigations into the circumstances of her death.
Preliminary reports indicate that officers found a note inside the residence believed to have been written by Wachinga.
Investigators are examining the note as part of efforts to establish what may have happened before her death. Its contents have not been made public, and authorities have not disclosed whether it contains information that conclusively explains the circumstances of the death.
Police are currently treating the case as a suspected suicide. Investigations remain ongoing, meaning the final circumstances surrounding Wachinga’s death have yet to be established.
Following the discovery, Wachinga’s body was moved to a Nairobi mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
The examination is expected to help investigators establish the cause and circumstances of death. Police are also expected to engage her relatives, neighbours and the management of the apartment complex as they piece together her final days.
Detectives from Muthangari Police Station are handling the investigation. By the time of publication, authorities had not announced evidence pointing to third-party involvement.
The investigation will seek to establish when Wachinga died, what happened before her death and whether any additional circumstances may have contributed to the tragedy.
