Detectives in Kilimani are investigating the mysterious death of 54-year-old Zaituni Kavaya, a Kibera resident who worked as a casual laundry worker. Kavaya had been contracted to do laundry on the fifth floor of an apartment along Mpunga Road in Kilimani, where she later died under unclear circumstances.
Police confirmed that five Sudanese nationals from the same family have been arrested in connection with the incident. They are currently being held at Kilimani Police Station as investigations continue.
Kavaya’s family is mourning the sudden loss, with her daughter Faith recounting how she received a call from the police after repeated attempts to reach her mother failed. “I told them this tea will get cold, let me give it to mom when she comes so she can drink, then they broke the news to me and said my mother had died. The only thing we were told was that she had fallen from the apartment building, but no other details were given,” she said.
What Led to Kavaya’s Death?
Court documents revealed that the incident allegedly arose from a dispute over missing money. The son of the household claimed cash had disappeared from the trousers that Kavaya had washed. “The son of the house did not find his money in one of his pockets and therefore he called her back. She had left, but he called her to ask about the missing money. From the testimony, she denied taking any money. As they insisted on reporting to the police, she allegedly tried to escape and fell from the balcony,” defense attorney Wilson Hassan Nandwa said.
Kavaya’s family strongly disputes this account. Faith said, “When I went to collect her belongings at the DCI office, I found only Ksh.160 in her purse, slippers, a dress, and rubbers. There was nothing else. She had already left work, but was called back only to end up dead.”
What Did the Postmortem Reveal?
A postmortem conducted at Nairobi City Mortuary showed that Kavaya died from multiple injuries caused by blunt force trauma, contradicting claims of a simple fall.
Her grieving daughter demanded accountability: “I want the truth and justice because she was everything in our lives. We have no one else to cry to.” Another family member added, “There is no way foreigners should be killing our people here in Kenya. Where do we run to if this continues? I am asking the President to ensure these foreigners do not kill our people.”
The case remains under investigation, with growing calls from the family and community for justice and transparency.
By Lucky Anyanje
