By Andrew Kariuki

Detectives have arrested a murder suspect who had reportedly been on the run for months following the killing of a teacher in Kirinyaga County earlier this year.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect identified as Peter Kanumbi was apprehended in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, after an extensive manhunt conducted by detectives from Lamu County together with officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) based in Kerugoya.

Investigators linked Kanumbi to the murder of Betty Wanjiru Nyaga, a teacher who was killed in Mwea East, Kirinyaga County, on March 12, 2026.

The DCI said the suspect allegedly went into hiding immediately after the incident, triggering months of investigations and intelligence-led operations aimed at tracing his whereabouts.

Detectives eventually tracked him to Mpeketoni where officers reportedly moved in and arrested him moments before he allegedly attempted to cross into neighbouring Somalia.

Authorities described the arrest as the end of a prolonged cat-and-mouse pursuit between investigators and the suspect.

Following the arrest, Kanumbi was escorted back to Kirinyaga County where he was presented before the Kerugoya Law Courts.

The court granted detectives five days to continue holding the suspect as investigations into the murder case continue.

The DCI has continued to urge members of the public to cooperate with investigators by sharing information that may assist in criminal investigations through its anonymous reporting channels.