Musician John Matara has disclosed fresh details about his working relationship with his girlfriend, Starlet Wahu, before she died in a lodging facility.
He informed the court that he and Wahu had previously worked together on an internet platform that offers adult content.He also revealed that he had access to the back end of her account.
Matara made the disclosure on Thursday, October 8, 2026, while presenting his defence against a murder charge linked to Wahu’s death at the High Court in Nairobi.
Appearing before Justice Alexander Muteti, he described what he claimed happened on January 3, 2023, when he met Wahu at an Airbnb facility in South B, Nairobi.
Matara told the court that they had arranged to spend the night together and that he arrived at the premises before Wahu.
He said Wahu called him at about 8pm and asked him to meet her in the parking area and guide her to the room.
According to his account, they later visited a nearby liquor shop, bought a bottle of whisky and returned to the room, where they were intimate.
Matara alleged that after their encounter, Wahu demanded Sh50,000 from him before leaving.
He told the court that he was unable to pay because he did not have the money and was waiting to receive Sh100,000 from a job he had completed.
He further stated that he contacted his sister and asked her to lend him Sh30,000. However, she reportedly told him that she was unable to provide the amount.
Matara said he appealed to Wahu to remain calm and assured her that he would pay her the following day.He claimed that the disagreement worsened after he came out of the bathroom and found Wahu standing between the wardrobe and the door.
He told the court that he initially believed she wanted another intimate encounter, but she allegedly took out a knife and insisted that he pay her.
Matara claimed that Wahu restrained him and stabbed him in the thighs and hands.
He said he used a towel to clean the blood from his wounds before fleeing the room and seeking a motorcycle rider to take him to hospital.
He maintained that he left Wahu in the room and had no knowledge of what happened to her afterwards.
His defence came after 18 prosecution witnesses testified in the case. Investigators presented CCTV recordings, forensic findings, a knife stained with blood and other items collected during their enquiries.
The prosecution is scheduled to cross-examine Matara on December 16, 2026, as the murder trial proceeds.