In the small village of Kaseveni, Kathiani Sub-County, Machakos County, Amos Wambua seemed like any other young man looking to settle down. At 23-years-old, he married 28-year-old Grace Mungai in January 2026.
Grace, who was from Kitui County, had moved there to build a new life with him. In March, Amos's mother travelled to Kitui and brought Grace's 2 daughters 8-year-old Joyce Mutheu and 4-year-old Sarah Mungai to live with the couple. The girls were not his biological children, but for a short while, it looked like they might make a family work.
Everything changed on Sunday, June 14, 2026. A neighbour's dog came back carrying what everyone first thought was an animal part. It was a child's leg. Panic gripped the village. Residents and police immediately began searching the area.
The next morning, Monday, June 15, they found the bodies of Grace Mungai, who was seven months pregnant, along with her daughters, Joyce and Sarah, and her unborn child. They were naked and already decomposing, hidden in thick bush on steep, difficult terrain about 3KM away.
Amos, the man who lived with them, had disappeared. Police tracked his phone towards Kajiado County before it was switched off. As of June 20, 2026, he remains on the run.
Back at the house, officers found clear signs of a rushed clean-up blood had reportedly been wiped away. Investigators believe someone later gathered the victims' bloodstained clothes, stuffed them into a gunny bag, and tried to conceal the evidence.
The post-mortem revealed another horrifying detail. 8-year-old Joyce had been sexually assaulted before she was killed.
The bodies had decomposed significantly and had been damaged by exposure and animal activity. Although some villagers claimed acid had been used, police said the injuries were largely consistent with advanced decomposition.
His father, Ezekiel Wambua, spoke openly about the pain. He acknowledged that the children were not Amos's biological daughters and said that if his son was arrested, he should rot in Kamiti for the rest of his life.
Amos's mother was arrested on June 18 and remains in custody. Police allege that she obtained a new SIM card shortly after the killings to help her son communicate while in hiding. His sister, Anastazia, also spoke publicly about the short-lived marriage.
Just months after the girls arrived, the entire family was dead a pregnant woman, her two young daughters, and her unborn child. Investigators are still trying to establish whether Amos acted alone, as the bodies were found on a steep hillside that is difficult to access by vehicle.
Grace's father, Paulo, described seeing the bodies at the mortuary as heartbreaking, saying they barely looked human. The family later laid Grace, Joyce, Sarah, and the unborn child to rest while continuing to call for justice.
Amos Wambua is expected to face murder charges if he is arrested. Grace Mungai, her unborn child, Joyce Mutheu, and Sarah Mungai were ordinary people trying to build a better life.
Kaseveni was meant to be their fresh start. Instead, it became the place where their lives ended in horror.
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