Nelson Ambai, the man accused of killing his girlfriend and sending her family a video of her body, is in police custody after a manhunt that had Kenyans on edge for days.
Ambai is accused of suffocating 21-year-old Feruz Hussein at Sunton Estate in Kasarani. Police say he then recorded her lifeless body and sent the video to her relatives, a detail that left many people horrified. For the family, the pain of losing her was made worse by the way they learned of it.
As the search dragged on, public anger grew. Kenyans flooded social media demanding that the suspect be found and held to account.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko added pressure by offering KSh 50,000 to anyone who could give information leading to his arrest. The offer spread quickly online, and many people shared it in the hope that someone, somewhere, knew where he was hiding.
That pressure appears to have paid off. Ambai was arrested and is now being held at Kasarani Police Station, where he awaits arraignment in court. Detectives are expected to ask the court for more time to complete their investigations and build the case against him.
For Feruz’s family, the arrest brings a small measure of relief, but it cannot undo what happened. A young woman with her whole life ahead of her is gone, and her loved ones now face the long road of grief and the wait for justice.
The case has also reopened a painful conversation about violence against women in Kenya. Too many families have buried daughters, sisters and friends under similar circumstances. Many are asking what more can be done to protect women before a tragedy happens, rather than after.
For now, the focus shifts to the courtroom. Ambai is only accused at this stage, and the law will decide his fate. What the family and the public want is a fair process and answers.