Tears and grief engulfed Mutara in Ngobit Ward, Laikipia County, as family, friends, leaders and hundreds of mourners gathered to bid farewell to 25-year-old Joy Kanini Gathu, whose brutal murder and dismemberment shocked the country.
The emotional burial, held on Thursday, August 6, 2026, saw mourners struggle to come to terms with the horrifying circumstances surrounding the young woman’s death.
Joy’s white flower-adorned casket was placed at the centre of the funeral venue as grieving relatives broke down while paying their final respects.
Throughout the ceremony, speakers remembered Joy as a humble, loving and caring young woman whose life was tragically cut short. Her family also renewed calls for justice, urging authorities to ensure that those responsible for her killing face the full force of the law.
Friends and Family Remember Joy
Joy’s close friend Joyce Wangechi delivered an emotional tribute, recalling the special bond they shared and describing the deceased as a thoughtful and caring person.
Joyce said Joy treasured even the smallest gestures from those around her and was always keen to check on the people she loved.
“I will always remember how carefully you kept the things I used to send you in town and how naturally you cared for everyone around you. I cannot forget the calls you made to inform me that you had arrived from school. Your random visits always brightened my day, and we would burst into laughter,” Joyce said.
Joy’s mother, Beatrice Njoki, also struggled to contain her emotions as she remembered her daughter as one of the family’s greatest blessings.
She said Joy had brought love, laughter and purpose into their lives and had positively transformed the family through her personality.
“You were not just a daughter; you were a special gift from God. You brought fulfilment into our lives in ways we cannot explain. You filled our home with laughter and our lives with purpose. You made me a better mother simply by being you,” Beatrice said.
Cate Waruguru Calls for Justice
Former Laikipia Woman Representative Cate Waruguru attended the funeral and strongly condemned Joy’s killing, describing it as one of the most disturbing homicide cases she had encountered.
Waruguru argued that the murder appeared to have been deliberately planned and called on authorities to ensure justice is served.
“This is the most horrific story I have ever heard as a woman leader concerning homicide. This is a gruesome murder that was orchestrated by a man who was prepared. He was predetermined and it was not an accident. I support those saying forgive, but I am on the side of justice,” she said.
Her remarks were met with applause from mourners, many of whom shared the family’s demand for swift justice.
The burial marked the end of weeks of anguish and uncertainty for Joy’s family following the recovery of her dismembered remains in Nyeri County.
Joy’s Murder Investigation
Joy’s death became one of the country’s most disturbing homicide cases after her remains were recovered in separate stages across Nyeri County over several weeks.
The first discovery was made on June 11, 2026, when members of the public found a woman’s torso stuffed in a sack and abandoned near a perimeter fence in Ngangarithi Estate, Nyeri.
The remains were initially recorded as belonging to an unidentified woman because the body was missing the head, hands and legs.
A postmortem examination later established that Joy had died from excessive bleeding after being dismembered using a saw.
The investigation intensified after her father, Reverend Peter Gathu, raised concerns about her boyfriend, John Nderitu Muriithi, popularly known as Tizo. Detectives subsequently raided the suspect’s residence.
On June 16, investigators recovered Joy’s hands and feet from a pit latrine about 20 metres from the suspect’s house after neighbours reported a foul smell.
The body parts had reportedly been wrapped in black polythene bags and concealed inside the latrine. Detectives also recovered a machete, blood-stained clothes and a blood-stained mattress from the suspect’s residence.
The suspect was later arrested along the Nanyuki–Isiolo Road while allegedly attempting to flee towards Uganda.
Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Bureau subsequently interrogated the suspect, who led officers to another pit latrine in Ngangarithi Estate.
On July 14, forensic experts spent nearly 24 hours excavating the approximately 20-foot-deep pit before recovering Joy’s missing head and additional blood-stained clothing believed to have been used in concealing the crime.
As Joy was laid to rest, her family and mourners were left with memories of a young woman whose life was tragically cut short, alongside a renewed demand that those responsible be brought to justice.