Fugitive house help arrested 2 years after allegedly poisoning retired Kamiti prison boss, wife in Kiambu

In September 2023, tragedy struck a quiet home in Kiamumbi estate, Kiambu County.

Henry Nkulu Igweta, 81, a retired Kamiti prisons boss, and his wife, Beatrice Kabutia, 71, a retired teacher, lost their lives within days of each other. Doctors later confirmed that the couple had been poisoned.

Nearly two years later, their house help, who had been missing has been tracked down and arrested by police. Daniel Kimathi Kiamba was expected to appear at the Kiambu Law Courts to face two counts of murder.

But even with an arrest, the questions are more than the answers. Why were the couple killed? Who wanted them dead and was the suspect acting alone, or was he a pawn in a larger scheme?

According to investigation documents, the chain of events began on September 28, 2023, when Nkulu suddenly began vomiting.

He was rushed to Aga Khan Hospital and admitted to the High Dependency Unit, where he remained for a week before succumbing on October 5.

Days later, Beatrice, his wife, was found unconscious in her bed. She was rushed to Kenyatta University Referral Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Autopsy reports confirmed that both had been poisoned: Henry with a combination of Amitraz and Cypermethrin, Beatrice with Amitraz and Carbaryl.

Food samples taken from their home contained the same poisons. The man believed to have prepared those meals? Their house help, Kimathi.

According to the investigators, Kimathi had lived with the couple since 2022, taking care of household chores, including preparing meals. But on the morning Henry fell ill, Kimathi reportedly vanished.

He left the house around 5am, leaving the ailing man behind. Later that day, when news spread of Henry's worsening condition, Kimathi switched off his phone.

For nearly two years, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Department trailed him. Police say Kimathi frequently changed mobile lines, registering them under different identities.

He was never found at his rural home in Meru. That is, until earlier this month. On the night of August 9, 2025, detectives pounced into the vast Kasarani area in Igembe North, near Meru National Park. Kimathi was allegedly hiding there, staying under the radar.

Sources familiar with the investigation suggest he had drawn attention after attempting to buy a phone through a digital lender. His trail finally caught up with him. He was escorted to Kiambu Police Station and booked, facing two counts of murder.

Prof James Mbaria, an expert in pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Nairobi paints a grim picture of the chemicals used in the deaths.

"Amitraz depresses the cardiovascular system, it can cause collapse of the heart and lungs within hours if ingested in high doses. Cypermethrin, on the other hand, is a pyrethroid pesticide that affects the nervous system. Signs include convulsions, nervous disturbances, and eventually death," said Mbaria.

According to Mbaria, the combination of such poisons is particularly lethal."If ingested together, one affects the nerves while the other attacks the heart and lungs. Breathing, heartbeat and nervous control are vital functions, and once they fail simultaneously, death is swift," he said.

Kennedy Njuguna, a neighbor of the couple, said that the deceased rarely got out of their compound and they were shocked to learn that they had died.