The prime suspect in the murder of 8-year old Shantel Nzembi was on Friday evening arrested at her house in Noonkopir area, Kitengela bringing the number of those in custody to four.
27-year-old Nativity Mutindi Nthuku was in possession of the sim card that was used by Shantel's kidnappers to ask for a ramson from Shantel's mother Christine Ngina.
Sleuths from Kitengela Directorate of Criminal Investigations were acting on a tip-off from an eyewitness and mobile data when they pounced on Mutindi at her house and after combing her house recovered the airtel line that was to be used to wire the ksh300, 000 ramsons.
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In a raid to her house Friday morning, detectives recovered tens of marvins, a brand new panga and bedsheets.
Detectives are looking into the familiarity with the bedsheet that was used to wrap Shantel's body from the bedsheets collected.
Detectives are also investigating the possibility that the mother of one, a Grade 3 pupil could have been holding Shantel at her house before she was murdered, stashed in a gunny bag and dumped at Orata area just 300 meters from Mutindi's house.
Mutindi who lives at a building that houses six tenants and at least 10 business houses is known by neighbours as Mama Mercy and others know her as Martha.
According to her neighbours, Mutindi who has lived in the bedsitter house which goes for ksh5, 000 monthly for over a year, has been staying indoors for months after closing down an Mpesa shop she operated along Miriams road.
Neighbours described her as a fashionista who enjoyed life and would remain indoors for the better part of the day and mainly went out in the evenings.
"We know her as Martha. What I can say about her is that she dearly loved her daughter and liked dressing in similar skimpy clothes. After she closed her Mpesa shop she has been jobless but she still lived large and her daughter studies at an academy," said a neighbour.
Neighbours say she easily interacted with kids.
Inside her house are a four-by-six double-decker, her neatly hanged clothes and her daughter's, a fridge, sofa, Mpesa board and a small cloth-washing machine.
Her arrest comes after that of Agnes Kasiva Nzioki a woman believed to have picked Shantel from an apartment in Ashut area.
On Thursday, two male suspects; Livingstone Makacha Otengo and Francis Mbuthia were arraigned at Kajiado law courts where the prosecution granted investigators 10 days to complete investigations.
Mutindi and other suspects are being held at Kitengela police station
