By Andrew Kariuki
The High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, resumed the hearing of the murder case against John Matara, who is accused of killing Starlet Wahu at Papino Apartments in South B.
Sergeant Alex Chokera, the investigating officer, testified before Justice Alexander Muteti and outlined the sequence of events from the time police received the report to the arrest of the suspect.
Chokera told the court that at about 4:00 a.m., while serving as the Makadara Patrol Car Commander, he received a call through the control room reporting a suspected murder at Papino Apartments, house number Y32, on the fourth floor.
He said officers proceeded to the scene, where they found the body of a woman lying on the floor inside the house with visible stab wounds and surrounded by blood.
During a search of the room, police recovered several items that were later marked as exhibits.
These included a kitchen knife believed to be the murder weapon, two mobile phones, a used HIV testing kit, a blood-stained white towel, used and unused condoms, eight syringes and women’s undergarments.
The court heard that investigators also reviewed CCTV footage from the apartment building.
According to Chokera, the footage showed a man running out of the house where the body was later discovered.
He testified that the clothing worn by the individual in the footage matched the description provided by the apartment’s watchman, who reported seeing a man leaving the premises around the time of the incident.
Further investigations established that the Airbnb unit had been booked under the name John Matara, the court was told.
Chokera testified that the accused was subsequently arrested and booked at Industrial Area Police Station before being presented in court to face a charge of murder.
He added that, in accordance with legal procedure, the accused was later taken to Mathari Referral Hospital for mental assessment.
