Detectives in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, have arrested and detained a 34-year-old man in connection with the brutal murder of a University of Nairobi student whose body was discovered in a forest days after she was reported missing.
The suspect, identified as Nicholas Mutua Mutia, is accused of murdering Jane Atila Quedeya, a student at the University of Nairobi’s Kikuyu Campus.
Atila was reported missing on October 13, 2025, after she failed to return to her residence, prompting her family and friends to file a missing person’s report at Kikuyu Police Station.
Four days later, on October 17, 2025, her decomposing body was found dumped in a thicket at Kefri Muguga Forest in Kikuyu. Detectives said that forensic fingerprint identification conducted in collaboration with the National Registration Bureau confirmed the body belonged to Atila.
According to preliminary investigations, Atila was last seen in the company of her estranged boyfriend, Mutua, shortly before her disappearance. The nature of their relationship, described by investigators as strained, is being closely examined as part of the ongoing probe.
Police believe Mutua may have been the last person to see the victim alive, making him a key suspect in the case.
Detectives are currently piecing together the events leading up to Atila’s death, including her movements on the day she went missing and any possible motive behind the killing.
Mutua was arrested and arraigned before the Kikuyu Law Courts on October 25, 2025, where investigators sought more time to complete their inquiries. The court granted detectives 21 days of custodial orders to allow for further investigations.
The case will be mentioned again on November 13, 2025, as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continues gathering evidence, including forensic and digital data, to strengthen the case against the suspect.
The murder of Jane Atila has sparked shock and sadness among students and residents of Kikuyu, with many calling for justice and greater safety measures around learning institutions.
Police have assured the public that every lead is being followed to ensure the suspect faces the full force of the law once investigations are complete.
