What looked like a quiet Saturday night in Kangemi, Nairobi, ended in the brutal killing of 33-year-old Naomi Chebet, a mother of three whose family says she had been trying to rebuild her life after years of abuse.
Chebet was found dead in her rented house after allegedly being strangled and beaten by her partner, Samuel Njoroge, in a case that has left relatives demanding justice and police searching for a suspect who remains on the run.
According to her family, Chebet had separated from Njoroge in October 2024 after repeated violence in their relationship, only to reconcile with him months later after he promised to change.
She had moved to Kangemi to start afresh and was living with her brother, Harrison Koech, when the attack happened.
Her brother said he returned home late on the night of Saturday, March 21, and found her lying on a black sofa, covered with a blanket, in what appeared to be peaceful sleep.
He said he called out to her and went to bed without suspicion. The following morning, when she still did not wake up, he uncovered the blanket and found that her face had swollen and her body had gone cold.
By then, Naomi Chebet was already dead.
Family accounts paint a painful picture of a relationship marked by jealousy, threats and repeated abuse.
Chebet, who hailed from Solai in Nakuru County, had previously worked as a librarian at Akuisi Secondary School before moving to Nairobi in search of better opportunities.
Relatives described her as hardworking, calm and deeply committed to her three daughters, who now live with their grandparents in Solai for safety.
Her father, Philip Koech, and mother, Esther Koech, had reportedly repeatedly warned her against returning to the relationship.
At different times, the family had involved pastors and police after Chebet allegedly endured violent attacks, including one in 2022 when she was pregnant and required hospital treatment.
Despite the warnings, Chebet and Njoroge rekindled the relationship in February 2025. He later moved in with her in Kangemi.
Her brother said she had confided that Njoroge had promised to be better, but also admitted that he had threatened her again just days before her death.
Investigators believe the couple entered the house together at about 9 p.m. on March 21.
Njoroge is alleged to have left about an hour later, taking Chebet’s mobile phones and the tools used in the assault.
Police later established that his phone signal moved toward Githurai before it went off. Attempts to trace him to his workplace were unsuccessful.
A post-mortem conducted at Chiromo Mortuary confirmed that Chebet died from asphyxia caused by manual strangulation, together with head injuries from blunt force trauma.
The report also indicated deep marks on her neck, a fractured eye socket and other severe wounds consistent with a violent assault.