The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said homicide has not been ruled out in the death of Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager Esther Wairimu Keige, whose decomposed body was recovered in Juja nearly a month after she went missing.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the DCI said investigations into Keige’s death remain active, with detectives awaiting the outcome of toxicology and other forensic examinations to determine the cause and manner of her death.
“The DCI wishes to clarify that investigations remain active and that homicide has not been ruled out. Detectives are pursuing all plausible lines of inquiry and are awaiting the outcome of the toxicology and other forensic examinations, which are expected to provide critical leads in the investigation,” the agency said.
Keige was reported missing on June 10, 2026, after she was dropped off by her driver at a Shell petrol station in Juja, adjacent to Senate Hotel, where she had intended to inquire about gym services. According to the DCI, the driver remained behind, but she never returned.
Her disappearance triggered an extensive search involving multiple investigative teams and partner security agencies. Detectives reviewed CCTV footage, conducted forensic analysis, interviewed witnesses, analysed mobile phone data and carried out intelligence-led operations in a bid to trace her whereabouts.
The search also extended to areas where she was last seen, including Kenyatta Road, Gatundu, Darugo, Mang’u, the Murram area, Stage Four and surrounding locations. Hospitals and mortuaries within the region were also checked to establish whether she had been admitted or identified among unknown persons.
During the investigations, detectives established that Keige had been battling depression and was undergoing treatment. The DCI also disclosed that she had previously disappeared from home on three separate occasions before eventually returning safely.
On July 6 at about 5 p.m., the decomposed body of an unidentified woman was discovered inside a makeshift shelter in a bushy section of the undeveloped Fusion Estate Farm in Kiaora area, Juja, about seven kilometres west of Juja Police Station.
Senior police officers and detectives from the Crime Scene Investigations Unit visited and processed the scene before the body was moved to the Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital Funeral Home pending identification and a post-mortem examination.
The body was later positively identified by the deceased’s sister as that of Esther Wairimu Keige.
According to the DCI, Keige’s mobile phone was recovered at the scene intact but switched off, while her shoes had been removed and placed beside the body.
A post-mortem examination conducted on the body did not reveal any external physical injuries suggestive of assault. However, pathologists were unable to conclusively establish the cause of death because the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
Samples have since been collected for comprehensive toxicological and other forensic analyses to help determine how she died.
The DCI extended its condolences to Keige’s family, friends and colleagues at the Kenya Forest Service, while appealing to members of the public with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
Police are particularly seeking information on Keige’s movements between June 10, when she disappeared, and the recovery of her body on July 6.
The agency reiterated its commitment to conducting a thorough, impartial and evidence-led investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding her death and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
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