A Nyeri court on Tuesday ordered the continued detention of Nicholas Julius Macharia, the prime suspect in the defilement and murder of 7-year-old Tamara Blessing Kabura. The suspect will remain in custody for 14 days to allow police to complete investigations.
Senior Principal Magistrate Faith Munyi granted the request following an application by investigators seeking more time to gather evidence surrounding the tragic incident that has left the Nyeri community in shock.
Tamara had been missing for four days before her body was discovered on Sunday. CCTV footage obtained from a shop near Nyeri town’s main market showed her last seen walking alongside a man later identified as Macharia, a well-known porter in the area.
Following his arrest, Macharia led detectives to his residence in the Witemere slums. There, in a shallow grave beneath his bed, authorities recovered Tamara’s body wrapped in a gunny bag.
The grim discovery triggered widespread outrage. Enraged residents marched to the suspect’s house and later carried the child’s body to Nyeri Police Station in protest, demanding swift justice.
By Monday evening, tensions boiled over into clashes between demonstrators and police, who were forced to use teargas to disperse crowds. The atmosphere in Nyeri remained tense into Tuesday.
The case will be mentioned on June 10 as police continue their probe. Authorities have urged the public to remain calm as the legal process takes its course.
