The High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, continued with the hearing of the murder trial against John Matara, who is accused of killing Starlet Wahu in South B, Nairobi.
Sergeant Alex Chokera, the investigating officer in the case, took the stand and gave a detailed account of the events surrounding the incident and the subsequent investigations.
Appearing before Justice Alexander Muteti, Sergeant Chokera, who was then serving as the Makadara Patrol Car Commander, told the court how at 0400 hrs he had received a call at the control room reporting a suspected murder incident at Papino Apartments in South B.
The report indicated that the incident had occurred on the fourth floor, in house number Y32.
Upon arrival at the scene, the officers found the lifeless body of the deceased lying on the floor in a pool of blood bearing stab wounds inside the house.
A search of the room led to the recovery of several items, including a kitchen knife, two mobile phones, a used HIV testing kit, a blood-stained white towel, used and unused condoms, eight syringes, and women’s undergarments, among other exhibits.
After reviewing the footage at the building, Sergeant Chotera told the court that the CCTV cameras captured a person running out of the house where Wahu’s body was later discovered.
The clothes worn by the individual seen in the footage matched the description given by the apartment’s watchman, who reported seeing a man leaving the apartment around that time.
The interview with the owner of the apartment also established that the Airbnb room had been booked by someone in the name of John Matara.
The officer testified that the suspect was later arrested and booked at Industrial Area Police Station before being arraigned in court to face murder charges.
He added that the accused was taken to Mathari Referral Hospital for mental assessment as part of the legal process.
The case is scheduled to continue on April 21, 2026.
