By Andrew Kariuki

The Milimani High Court has heard that socialite Starlet Wahu was killed inside an unlicensed AirBnB, raising renewed concerns over safety and regulation in the fast-growing Airbnb sector.

Testifying before Justice Alexander Muteti, the apartment owner Florence Ngina admitted that she failed to follow basic check-in procedures when the main suspect, John Matara, booked the room.

Ngina told the court that she neither issued a receipt nor recorded the suspect’s identification details at the time of check-in, a lapse that has come under scrutiny during the proceedings.

She explained that Matara had been brought to the apartment by a woman identified as Jane after expressing interest in a unit with a balcony.

Despite the facility offering room service, Ngina conceded that there was no proper verification or monitoring of the guest during his stay.

The court further heard that Ngina later received a distress call from Jane, who had been alerted by a security guard that the client was hurriedly leaving the premises with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

Ngina, accompanied by Jane, another woman identified as Charity and the guard, proceeded to the room Matara had occupied. Upon finding it locked, she used a spare key to gain entry, where they discovered Wahu’s body lying in a pool of blood.

Police were called to the scene and documented the incident before proceeding to Mbagathi Hospital, where Matara was later arrested. The body was subsequently moved to the mortuary.

Wahu, who is the sister of controversial preacher Victor Kanyari, was found murdered at the South B-based short-stay facility.

John Matara remains the prime suspect, with the prosecution alleging that he fatally attacked her while they were in the apartment.

The trial is now nearing conclusion, with the final witness expected to testify on April 30, 2026.