Murder suspect John Matara has given the High Court a detailed account of the events that preceded the death of socialite Starlet Wahu, claiming he survived a violent knife attack at a South B apartment before fleeing the scene in search of medical assistance.
Testifying before Justice Alexander Muteti, Matara denied killing Wahu, insisting that he left her alive after she allegedly attacked him with a knife during a confrontation over money.
Matara said he met Wahu through an online platform in 2023 and that their relationship initially began as a paid sexual arrangement before developing into what he described as a closer personal relationship.
According to his testimony, he first encountered Wahu’s profile on an online platform in July or August 2023 and contacted her using a telephone number listed on the site.
He told the court that Wahu quoted Sh35,000 for a night’s encounter and that their first meeting took place at Sankara Hotel in Westlands, where he paid the agreed amount.
The two met again at the same hotel in December 2023, but Matara said he only paid Sh20,000, leaving an outstanding balance of Sh15,000.
He told the court that he promised to settle the balance during their next meeting, saying that by then the two had become increasingly fond of each other.
On January 1, 2024, Matara said he contacted Wahu to arrange another meeting to celebrate the New Year.
He claimed they agreed to meet on January 3, provided he cleared the outstanding Sh15,000 and secured an Airbnb apartment with a balcony in South B.
Matara told the court that on the afternoon of January 3, he booked Unit Y32 at Papino Apartments through Jiji.co.ke.
He checked into the apartment at about 5pm, paid Sh3,200 to a representative of the host and signed the visitors’ book.
According to his testimony, Wahu arrived at about 8pm in a red Uber.
Matara said he went downstairs to meet her and paid Sh350 for her Uber fare before accompanying her upstairs.
The two also purchased a 750ml bottle of whisky from a nearby liquor outlet, he said.
Once inside the apartment, Matara said they drank, listened to music and took photographs and videos.
Matara told the court that, as they had done during an earlier encounter, Wahu asked him to place his phone on the edge of the sofa and record them. He said they later connected the phone to an Android screen to watch the recordings.
He said that Wahu also operated an OnlyFans account and that he sometimes assisted her with editing and managing content because of his skills in graphic design and computer programming.
The court heard that the two later engaged in consensual sexual activity.
Matara said they also took an HIV test before having sex and that both tested negative.
He claimed Wahu wanted them to have unprotected sex after the test, but he insisted on using condoms.
Afterwards, he said, they returned to the bedroom and continued drinking.
It was at this point, according to Matara, that a dispute over money erupted.
He claimed Wahu suddenly said she wanted to leave and demanded payment of the outstanding Sh15,000 together with Sh35,000 for their latest encounter, bringing the amount she allegedly demanded to Sh50,000.
Matara told the court that Wahu became angry and verbally abusive and allegedly threatened that neither of them would leave the apartment alive unless she was paid.
He said he sent her Sh20,000 through M-Pesa and explained that he would pay the remaining Sh30,000 the following morning after receiving an expected Sh100,000 payment for an application development project.
According to Matara, Wahu remained angry despite the payment.
He said the situation appeared to calm down temporarily before he went to the bathroom.
On returning, Matara claimed he found Wahu standing between the bed and wardrobe.
He said he approached her intending to embrace her, but she pushed him onto the bed.
Matara told the court that he initially believed she wanted to resume their sexual encounter, but he suddenly felt sharp pains in his thighs.
He claimed Wahu then attacked him repeatedly with a knife.
“I suddenly felt multiple sharp pains on my thighs,” he told the court.
Matara said he rolled away from the attack and eventually fell to the floor on the opposite side of the bed, hitting his head.
He alleged that Wahu stood over him and continued stabbing him as he tried to shield himself with his arms.
He said he eventually realised she was holding a knife.
Matara claimed he tried to grab the weapon but Wahu pulled it through his hands, causing further injuries to his palms.
Bleeding heavily, he said, he managed to push himself between Wahu’s legs and escape into the living room.
He claimed Wahu followed him and the two moved around the table as he attempted to evade her.
Matara said both were exhausted and covered in blood by the time Wahu allegedly slipped and fell.
He told the court that he then saw an opportunity to escape.
He picked up his denim and khaki trousers, grabbed his shoes and retrieved his mobile phone from the sofa.
He also took a towel and used it to try to control the bleeding.
Matara said that as he left the apartment, Wahu allegedly shouted that she would dress and follow him and warned him that he would not leave the apartment alive if he failed to pay her money.
He said he managed to reach the fourth-floor corridor but, because of the pain and blood loss, struggled to walk.
When he heard Wahu allegedly shouting behind him, Matara said he abandoned the lift and limped down the stairs to the third floor.
He eventually entered a lift and encountered several people who were shocked to see him covered in blood.
He said they advised him to report the matter to the security office on the ground floor.
However, Matara told the court that the security office was empty when he arrived.
His immediate concern, he said, was to obtain medical treatment.
He left the apartment and walked towards Stage C, where he attempted to flag down boda boda riders.
Matara said his first attempts failed, with two riders allegedly speeding away after seeing the amount of blood on him.
He eventually encountered two boda boda riders who stopped and agreed to take him to a medical facility.
One of the riders, whom he identified as Opondu, supported him and accompanied him to the facility.
Matara said he collapsed at the entrance and was taken into the emergency theatre.
While receiving treatment, he received a call from his sister, Debora, but said he was too weak to maintain a conversation.
He handed his phone to Opondu, who spoke to his sister before returning the phone.
A second call later came from a person saved in his phone as “Jane Airbnb South B”.
Because of his condition, Matara said, he handed the phone to a nurse, who spoke to the caller.
He said a short while later a man entered the treatment room and identified himself as Antony Nyongesa.
According to Matara, Nyongesa said he had been sent by his sister to assist him.
He claimed the medical staff informed Nyongesa that he needed to be transferred to Mbagathi Hospital because the facility could not contain his bleeding.
Matara said Nyongesa paid Sh2,500 for the treatment after retrieving two blood-stained Sh1,000 notes from Matara’s pocket and adding the remaining amount himself.
The two then attempted to obtain an Uber to Mbagathi Hospital.
Matara said the first driver refused to carry him after seeing the amount of blood on his body, prompting them to use a boda boda instead.
He was eventually taken to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was admitted for further treatment.
Matara told the court that medical personnel asked him what had caused his injuries.
He said he informed them that he had been stabbed by a woman whom he considered his girlfriend or sexual partner.
While receiving treatment, two armed police officers accompanied by two women entered the emergency room, he testified.
Matara said the two women appeared familiar to him and that he later realised they were the same women who had been present when he checked into the Airbnb.
He said the women identified him to the officers.
The officers asked for his name and identification documents, but Matara said he did not have his ID with him.
According to his testimony, the officers later returned after he had been stabilised and asked for his mobile phone.
He handed it over and gave them his password and PIN.
Matara claimed the officers searched through his phone and made comments after coming across nude photographs.
He said they subsequently handcuffed him and informed him that he was under arrest on suspicion of murder.
“I was shocked and in disbelief,” Matara told the court.
He denied killing Wahu, saying he had left her alive at the apartment.
Matara further denied ever handling the knife during the incident.
He told Justice Muteti that investigators would have found evidence clearing him of the stabbing had they subjected the knife and an alleged padlock to forensic examination for fingerprints.
He maintained that his only objective during the confrontation was to escape from the apartment and obtain medical assistance.
“I left the deceased alive. I did not injure or harm the deceased at any moment,” he told the court.
Matara said he had been in custody for about two years and nine months and remained unable to explain how Wahu died after he escaped from the apartment.
He acknowledged that Wahu had sustained a stab wound but said he could not tell the court what happened to her after he fled.
“I am still shocked that Starlet passed away,” he said.
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