Murder in convent: Who wanted Meru's Sister Karimi dead and why?

For nearly three decades, Sister Anselmina Karimi had dedicated her life to caring for orphans and other vulnerable children at the Meru Children’s Home in Nkabune, Imenti.

Until her gruesome murder last Saturday night, Sr Karimi had served as the administrator of the home, which is run by the Catholic Diocese of Meru.

Her compassion and sacrifice were legendary among the children, who included babies and others living with disabilities. To them, she was more than a caregiver—she was a mother and protector.

A member of the Nazareth Sisters of the Annunciation, Sr Karimi was deeply devoted to her calling.

The congregation, founded in the Diocese of Meru by the late Bishop Lawrence Bessone, is known for its commitment to prayer, service, and the empowerment of women, youth, and children. It was this mission that Sr Karimi embraced wholeheartedly throughout her life, serving as a custodian and defender of the poor and vulnerable.

But when her killers came calling on that fateful night, there was no one to protect her. The children she had nurtured for years are now left without their beloved guardian.

Police in Meru County have since detained her colleague, Sister Caroline Kanjiru. On Tuesday, Meru Senior Resident Magistrate Evelyne Ndegwa granted police permission to hold Sr Kanjiru for 14 days at the Meru Police Station.

“I find it necessary for the suspect to be detained for 14 days to facilitate DNA tests at the Government Chemist,” ruled Ndegwa. “This will also ensure the suspect’s safety, given that members of the public are angry,” she added.

Blunt object

As investigators continue to unravel the motive and pursue possible accomplices, Karimi’s family is distraught and desperate for answers. Police suspect the nun may have been killed elsewhere and her body later moved to the house. 

According to Imenti East Police Commander, the case has been taken over by the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Sources indicate that Sr Kanjiru was due to take over the management of the children’s home from Karimi. The same source, who requested anonymity, said Karimi’s body was found in the dining room with blood oozing from her mouth, ears, and nose, and an injury on her head—likely inflicted by a blunt object.

“She might have been killed somewhere else and her body brought back to the house. Her clothes had black jack seeds,” said the source.

Preliminary forensic findings suggest that Karimi was at home until about 10pm on the night of the murder. Her mobile phone, which remains missing, was switched off an hour later. Investigators believe her house had been cleaned in an attempt to tamper with evidence.

Ironically, it was the detained nun who reportedly raised the alarm, summoning others to assist when Karimi was found lying on the floor. She suggested they rush her to the Consolata Hospital at Nkubu in South Imenti Sub-county, about a 20-minute drive away.

Karimi was, however, pronounced dead upon arrival. 

Her distressed family who claimed Karimi had in the past told them she was fearing for her life reported the incident at Nkubu police station, and the sleuths are probing the suspect’s activities, including her mobile phone data to identify her movements and communication at the time. 

Martin Mbae, Karimi’s brother who spoke on behalf of the family, said she had expressed fears for her life.

Mbae had been the first family member at Karimi’s house after being summoned by her colleagues. On arrival, he said he found her lying on the floor, with a few nuns in the room.

“I received a call on Sunday morning, around 5am, and the caller told me that my sister had fallen in the dining room. I drove there in a hurry. When I arrived, I found four sisters standing in the dining room. I asked them to assist me lift her into the car,” Mbae.

The idea was to rush her to hospital.

“She was lying on her back. I tried to lift her to the car. As I was lifting her I realized that she was very cold and her tongue was sticking out. I realized she was dead. As I was putting her back I noticed there were bruises on her hands,” he said.

He said Karimi had blood in her nose and mouth and her head was lying on a pool of blood.

Shocked, Mbae exited the room with the aim of calling his brother.

“I wanted to tell him this was not a hospital but a police case. Within five minutes I looked back and realised that she had been wrapped in a blanket, put in a (car) boot and they were off. As they were moving, the other sisters were cleaning the blood on the floor.”

Mbae said he called a friend at the Nkubu hospital and alerted him that Karimi’s body was being taken there, and he should check out what was happening with it.

The mortuary staff at the hospital were reluctant to accept the body without an OB from a police station.

Life in danger

Was Karimi breathing when she was found lying in her dining room? Why was she being replaced as the administrator of the home? Was there a fight over management of the children’s home? Even more importantly, why did someone, or some people, want her dead?

Those are some of the questions surrounding the mystery of the murder, and her family is demanding answers from the authorities.

“She had told me her life was in danger. For a year she had been complaining that she was not secure in that institution, the reason being that she has been transferred but she had not been told where to go. She said the sister who was supposed to take over her position was already in the institution,” Mbae claimed.

According to him, Karimi looked stressed during the period she was uncertain about her fate.

“We have been very close, (her) being my sister, though she could tell me details about her congregation. But you could see she was expressing a lot of fear,” he said.

Mbae had tried to reassure Karimi that all would be well. At some point, he even told her she was free to leave the institution and go back home.

“I told her she was free to come back home because we were ready to take care of her,” he said.

He said: “For one month she was not free. She was not herself. She was very humble and she loved taking care of the children,” Mbae said.

The family is demanding justice.