Murdered lovebirds embraced in their final moments as fire consumed them

Rachael Kanini, 32, the Kenyan socialite who was found murdered alongside her Nigerian fiancé Olujobi Gbenga, 41, will be buried this weekend. 

On Wednesday, Chief Government pathologist Dr Johansen Odour failed to reveal the cause of death leaving Kenyans to continue guessing what could have been the motive behind the macabre murders. The postmortem examination on Rachael Kanini, 32, and her fiancée Olujobi Gbenga, 41, was conducted at the city mortuary by Dr Oduor.

Efforts to get comment from Olujobi’s family were futile as they referred us to the Nigerian High Commission in Nairobi, which, in turn referred us to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which is still probing the killings. 

A friend to Olujobi was present to witness the postmortem while Kanini’s father and a cousin were present during the examination.

Odour, after hours in the examination room, observed that only after further toxicological tests would the cause of death would be established.

A preliminary report on the cause of death states that both Kanini and Olujobi died of burn wounds. Kanini had suffered 90 per cent degree burns on her body and had also suffered stab wounds on her chest.

Olujobi, on the other hand, had suffered 88 degrees burns on his body. He also had visible injury marks on his feet and neck.

According to postmortem examination documents, Olujobi had been tied with a nylon paper around his neck and feet giving indications to the police that he could have been tortured before his death.

Unravel mystery

At the Kasarani DCI, investigations boss Jimmy Kimaru and his team is working round the clock to unravel this mystery murder.

The lifeless bodies of the two, who are suspected to have been kidnapped for unknown reasons, were discovered dumped in Ruai estate last Monday.

Prior to the discovery of the bodies, the couple had been reported missing at the Kasarani police station.

The burnt bodies were found dumped along Jonah Road, a murram road that leads to the home of the woman. Photographs of the scene where the two bodies were found show that the lovebirds, even in their final moments, held on to each other as the flames consumed them to death.

Police also found a partly burnt motor vehicle tyre, giving an indication that the two could have been killed before their bodies were set ablaze.  

According to Ruai police, Kanini’s body had visible stab wounds in the chest and stomach.

Gbenga, on the other hand, had visible injuries on his neck and hands, giving a clue to the investigators that the duo could have been tortured before they were killed. On the night of June 26, a relative to Kanini reported to Kasarani police under OB 2/26/06/2023 that Kanini and the lover had been abducted from their home in Thome estate in Nairobi.

The two are said to have been pulled out of their vehicle as they drove home at around 11 pm. This is the last time that the lovebirds are believed to have been seen alive.

Their vehicle was later found abandoned in Thome estate about a kilometre from their home the next day, when the bodies were also collected in Ruai. And since there were no identification documents on them, Ruai police took the bodies to City mortuary and booked them as unknown.

At the scene where the bodies were found, analysis by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the two could have been killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the area.

Residents, who spoke on the day of the discovery, said they were in shock when they woke up on Monday morning to find the naked bodies of a man and a woman.

Possible motives

According to the residents, the scene at first appeared like a case of lynching by a mob. However, none of the neighbours had heard any commotion that night.

“We were shocked to find the bodies. We had no incident in the estate on that night,” said John Kamau, a nyumba kumi official.

At Kasarani police station, the DCI investigators are following crucial leads that might unmask the killers of the duo. First is the theory that Kanini, who was preparing to wed Gbenga, was three months pregnant at the time she met her death.

While it remains unclear who was responsible for this pregnancy, police are probing the possibility that the unborn baby could have been the reason for the murder of the two.

Another theory that the investigators are looking into the if the twin murders could have been as a result of a love triangle.

A check on the social media platforms of Kanini reveals the bubbly nature of the woman. From the photos on her social media timelines, Kanini loved a good life with frequent visits to high-end hotels.

She posted her good times together with her fiancé on different dates. For now, what remains is the beautiful photos of the lovers in their happy days even as the police dig for clues on who may have wanted the two dead.