Kanyari opens up on sister Starlet Wahu's murder, reveals emotional plea to daughter Sky

Pastor Victor Kanyari has opened up about the devastating loss of his sister, Starlet Wahu, and the way her murder continues to influence his life and parenting. 

In January 2024, his sister, Wahu, 24, was found stabbed to death in a AirBnB apartment in South B, Nairobi. 

CCTV later showed a suspect in her company, but Kanyari said the family had never met the person captured on camera. The shock of losing a young woman so full of life left the family wounded by unanswered questions.

More than a year after the killing, the pastor says the trauma still lingers. Wahu, he recalls, was strikingly beautiful and enjoyed material comforts, like nice cars and a ‘soft’ lifestyle many envied, yet her life was cut short and she left no children behind. 

That loss has become a cautionary tale he now uses in his role as a father. Speaking about his 13-year-old daughter, Sky, Kanyari described a painful moment of reckoning.

He told her outright that he could not bear to lose her in the same way. Tearful and pleading, he warned Sky to change behaviors he believes could expose her to lurking dangers. 

“Please my daughter, I don’t want to lose you at a tender age,” he said. “When I see Sky, I see my sister’s character.” The resemblance between daughter and aunt makes the grief personal, he explained, and fuels his determination to protect his child.

While some may see his warnings as harsh, for Kanyari they are an urgent desire to keep his offspring safe.

Kenyans were divided in the comment section, @Shiru Carol, asked, “Did you tell sky when her mother was alive?”, @Jane Mathenge, posteed, “It's only a biological parent who can tell you the truth” and @Cameline Muyale, said, “I like kanyaris openness”