Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have apprehended the prime suspect in the mysterious murder of NHIF employee Lilian Waithera.

The suspect, a Nairobi businessman, was tracked down to his home in Kenol, Murang'a, where he had been for the past week, and picked up by detectives who said he had been out of town for long. 

The 38-year-old suspect, who is said to be a licensed firearm holder, was apprehended on Monday around 2 p.m. and taken to the DCI headquarters on Kiambu road, where detectives are investigating the murder.

He denied discharging the killer bullet that hit the NHIF staffer on February 13 as she walked home. 

The suspect told detectives that on the fateful day, he was in the CBD and was carrying his rifle, but he never fired.

“He says he never went up to the any of the floors at the building and he allegedly went and placed the weapon in his car before leaving,” said a senior officer aware of the probe. 

The killing occurred in broad daylight on busy Kaunda Street in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) last Monday. 

According to a DCI source who spoke to Citizen.Digital, evidence shows the suspect was near the scene of the NHIF staffer's death.

During his arrest, his firearm was confiscated and will be undergoing a ballistic examination. 

Detectives are still probing the circumstances under which Waithera was shot dead at around 5p.m. while walking home beside her colleague. 

According to police reports, Waithera was shot from an elevated angle with the bullet penetrating her body through the collarbone before stopping in the lungs. She died 5 minutes after the shooting.

What the detectives are now trying to unravel is who wanted her dead and the motive of her assassination.

Members of Waithera’s family said she did not appear to be worried nor did she speak of threats to her life on that particular day or before.

On Wednesday, NHIF where Waithera had worked for over 15 years, cautioned Kenyans against speculating about the mysterious death of its staff member.

Meanwhile, ballistic experts are still analysing the bullet head that was removed from the body of the deceased as investigations intensify.