Rita Waeni's Friend Confesses To Her Parents She First Met Her Suspected Killer In July 2023

• It is now emerging that Rita Waeni's close friend reached out to her family, disclosing details of Rita's first meeting with her suspected killer
• According to the friend, Rita arrived early for their planned hangout at a local restaurant, where she crossed paths with the suspect
• Rita's parents learned of this encounter only after their daughter's tragic death; the friend told them she has been suffering nightmares since their daughter's death

The family of the 20-year-old university girl who was brutally murdered in January this year and her body badly mutilated has narrated how they learned about her meeting with her suspected killer, who remains at large.

The lovely girl, who was about to start her last year at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology when her life was brutally cut short, first met her would-be killer in 2023, according to details shared by her friend.

Who Killed Rita Waeni?

Speaking to TV47, her mum said that Rita first met the suspected killer in July 2023 after she visited her friend in Nairobi West.

Her parents said that Rita's friend had invited her for a hangout, and she arrived earlier than the friend at their meeting point.

"The girl called my daughter to meet because she stays in a place with a restaurant. So they decided to meet there. This is where my daughter met Calton (the suspect)," Rita's mum revealed.

"It is during that waiting period that this person(the suspect) approached her," her dad added.

Rita's parents said the suspect's encounter with their daughter was brief, and instead of asking for her phone number, he asked for her Instagram account.

"He did not ask for her contacts, just her Instagram. He then left, and her friend later arrived for their hangout. This was my daughter's first encounter with the suspect," the distraught father said.

Rita Waeni's friend's nightmares

Rita's parents only learned of this meeting recently after the friend confessed to them.

According to the parents, who are still mourning, Rita's friend approached them two months after the murder, saying she was suffering nightmares since their daughter's death.

"She said she was uncomfortable and was having nightmares. She said this to Rita's mother," Rita's dad said.

"When we were almost having Rita's birthday on March 28, she (Rita's friend) said she wanted to visit her gravesite and this shocked me. She said she had nightmares and that was why she had to explain to me what she knew," the deceased's mum stated.

They did not allow her to visit their daughter's grave.

Rita Waeni's death; Latest developments

• A few weeks ago, CCTV footage capturing Rita Waeni's last moments before her gruesome murder earlier this year emerged on social media
• On Wednesday, April 24, the police released photos of the suspect and announced they had made progress in their investigations
• An autopsy report released days after her death showed the young JKUAT student died after being strangled

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke