Diana Naliaka, alias Sarah Nekesa, the primary suspect in the murder case of Rahab Karisa, a Chief Officer for Fisheries and Blue Economy in Kilifi County, was Thursday brought before the Kilifi Law court for arraignment.
During her appearance before Kilifi Senior Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku, the suspect stunned the court by admitting to the murder of her employer.
The magistrate had asked her if she understood the prosecution’s application to have her detained to allow for more investigations. While responding to the magistrate’s question, Naliaka unexpectedly confessed to killing Karisa.
“We had a misunderstanding after I asked her for my money. She had just returned from outside the country. I killed her but I did not intend to,” Naliaka said.
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In response to Naliaka’s unexpected admission, the magistrate interjected, instructing her not to delve into the specifics of the case at that particular stage of the proceedings.
“Let us not go to the details of what happened. I just wanted to know if you understood the request by the prosecution,” Kituku said.
The magistrate issued an order for the suspect to be remanded at the Kilifi police station for a period of 14 days to facilitate further investigations into the case.
The case will be mentioned on August 17, 2023.
Naliaka was employed as a househelp at the residence of the late Karisa before she stabbed her to death on July 20th.
The 21-year-old was arrested on Tuesday around 4 a.m. on a footpath near Misikhu market in Bungoma East sub-county.
“At the time of arrest, the suspect was carrying her bag that had her belongings and it is believed she was on her way to the Ugandan border,” Kilifi County Criminal Investigation Officer David Siele said.
Naliaka was arrested after a bodaboda rider she had hired to smuggle her across the porous border into Uganda alerted the police.
