The arrest of Kiambu politician Gladys Chania on Friday over the murder of her husband, Rwanda-based engineer and businessman George Mwangi came as a shock to many of her friends and acquaintances.
Chania, a teacher and counseling psychologist by profession, was also Jubilee Party's Woman Representative candidate for Kiambu County in the August 9 elections.
The graduate of St John's Teachers College, Kilimambogo, also operated the Right at Home rehabilitation center for alcoholics in Thika Town before venturing into politics in the run-up to the 2013 elections in which she attempted to vie for the county MP post on a TNA Party ticket, but lost the nomination to Ann Nyokabi.
Later, Chania became the coordinator of TNA in Kiambu and was instrumental in the issuance of party tickets to aspirants for various electoral positions.
However, unbeknown to many, the politician has been in and out of police and court cells over a number of criminal cases some involving allegations of defrauding members of the public of cash.
Some of the cases are still pending in the Kiambu and Thika law courts even as she was picked up from her home in Mang'u, Gatundu North by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with the gruesome murder of her husband.
Mwangi's body was found wrapped in a black polythene bag last Wednesday at Kieni Forest also in Gatundu North, two days after Chania had reported him missing at the local Mwea police station.
The deceased was said to have had a frosty relationship with his wife for a long time and police linked his killing to a love affair with another woman.
Incidentally, Chania has been appearing on TV morning shows as a guest on a wide range of social topics including tackling family conflict.
She was the coordinator of TNA in Kiambu until the party was dissolved prior to the 2017 elections to form Jubilee.
Afterwards, Chania joined Kanu and was widely expected to contest on the party ticket before she got the Jubilee certificate to run for County Woman Rep position.
Detectives probing Mwangi's murder have intensified evidence gathering before arraigning suspects in court and have so far visited three lead scenes including the forest where Mwangi’s mutilated body was found.
