The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested the prime suspect in the horrific murder of 9-year-old Shantel Waruguru, whose body was discovered in a pit latrine in Mathira West, Nyeri County.

The arrest of the person of interest, identified as the girl’s 29-year-old uncle, Peter Njuguna, comes amid a wave of community outrage over a rising tide of child killings in the region.

Shantel’s disappearance began on February 7, 2026, while her mother was briefly away at work, according to a social media post by the DCI.

Investigations reveal that Njuguna allegedly visited the family compound in Kianjogu village and sent Shantel’s 4-year-old sister to a nearby shop.

When the younger child returned, she found the house locked. Suspicion mounted after DCI detectives traced the victim’s clothes and shoes to a nearby abandoned structure, leading to Njuguna’s immediate detention.

The tension reached a breaking point on Tuesday morning when villagers forced open a newly built pit latrine near the suspect’s home, revealing the girl’s mutilated body.

Forensic teams confirmed the brutality of the scene, though an official autopsy is pending.

The discovery ignited massive protests, with Diana Laban, one of the distraught residents, capturing the community’s fear: “Sai ni Shantel tulikuwa na mwingine sasa tunashindwa kwani nyinyi wanaume, tutapeleka wasichan wetu wapi, sasa tusizae wasichana?”

The grief quickly turned to violence as enraged residents torched Njuguna’s house and his mother’s property, alleging a family cover-up.

Protesters blocked the Karatina-Nairobi highway for hours, marching 5km with the body to demand justice.

While Njuguna remains in custody following a 21-day detention order from the Karatina Law Courts, Police Commander Pixley Musyoki warned that this case highlights a disturbing trend of “insider threats,” where trusted relatives turn predatory against vulnerable children in their own care.