Roysambu Murder Suspect Booked Room With Fake Identity: "Phone Number Registered Under Woman's Name"

• More details about the dreadful killing of a woman in a Roysambu Airbnb continue to emerge as police delve into the matter
• The family of the woman whose body was decapitated positively identified her at the City Mortuary on Monday, January 15
• Preliminary police findings indicate that the main suspect in the gruesome killing used fake identity details to book his stay at the room

Michael Ollinga is a journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years of experience covering courts and crimes, special reports, and current affairs in Kenya.

It is now emerging that the main suspect behind the ghastly killing of a young woman in a Roysambu-rented room faked his identity when booking the room where the heinous act happened.

Woman killed in Roysambu Airbnb

On Sunday, January 14, Kenyans were treated to a rude shock after details of the gruesome murder were made public.

The woman was found killed and stuffed in trash bags.

According to testimonies by the owner of the apartment, the caretaker called to notify her that he had discovered near the room that had been booked by the man.

Suspect in Roysambu killing used fake identity

Now, preliminary findings by police indicate that the main suspect behind the woman's killing in the apartment situated along TRM Drive used fake details to book the room.

A police update indicated that the suspect faked his identity and used a phone number registered under a woman's name. Detectives are still pursuing the mobile communications lead.

On Monday, January 15, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) made progress after retrieving a clearer image of the man who booked the room in which the woman was killed.

Gov't issues new directives to Airbnb operators

So far, the photo is the closest the DCI detectives have gotten to identifying the suspect, who is still on the run.

The incident, which came about 10 days after another woman, Starlet Wahu, was killed in an Airbnb apartment in South B, has prompted the government to issue new directives to private guards manning rented apartments and guest houses.

According to the new directives, owners or operators of such apartments will be required to detain the identity cards of their guests until they are cleared to check out.

Roysambu killing: Developments

• The family of the woman who was found killed and her body stuffed in trash bags, has positively identified her.
• Her body was taken to Nairobi's City Mortuary, where her family members went to identify her.
• The woman told her friend that she was going to meet a friend for dinner on Saturday, January 13, and even when it was suspected, she accompanied the main suspect into the room where her decapitated body was found.