Detectives in Lari, Kiambu County, have launched a murder investigation following the brutal killing of a 22-year-old woman who was fatally stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning while waiting to board a public service vehicle.

The victim, identified as Mukuhi Tabitha Waithira, was an employee at Sanctuary Farm in Naivasha and was planning to travel back to her workplace when the attack occurred at around 5a.m. at the Nakuru Stage commuter pickup point.

According to preliminary police reports, a nearby resident was awakened by the loud voice of a man shouting in Swahili, “Unaenda Nakuru?” (Are you going to Nakuru?), immediately followed by a woman’s desperate screams for help.

Upon rushing outside, the witness met a local hotel owner who recounted that a young woman had just arrived at the establishment’s entrance bleeding profusely before collapsing heavily on the ground.

Investigators state that despite sustaining a deep, severe stab wound to her upper left leg, Waithira managed to run toward the nearby hotel in a frantic, last-ditch attempt to seek refuge and assistance.

However, she tragically succumbed to her injuries and excessive blood loss before medical help could arrive at the scene.

Responding police officers documented the crime scene before moving the deceased’s body to the Uphome Mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to establish the exact medical cause of death.

Lari sub-county detectives have intensified cross-examinations of witnesses to establish the motive behind the fatal assault and track down the unidentified assailant.