A married woman from Machakos who told her family she was heading to Kitengela for work ended up being killed in Kitui by a police officer she was reportedly seeing in secret. The tragic incident has left two families grieving and many questions unanswered.
Highlights
- Joy Mutisya told her husband she was going to work in Kitengela
- She was later found shot dead in Kanyonyoo, Kitui, alongside her friend
- A police officer she was reportedly involved with is suspected to have shot them
- The officer is on the run after fleeing the scene and abandoning his gun
- Joy leaves behind a husband and two school-going children
Joy Mutisya left her Machakos home on Tuesday, August 6, 2025, telling her family she was going to Kitengela to look for work. But instead, she traveled to Kanyonyoo in Kitui County where she reportedly planned to meet a police officer she had been secretly seeing.
Her husband and children, one in Form Three and another in Grade Six, had no idea she was headed elsewhere.
Joy was hosted by her friend Jane Ndanu at her house in Kanyonyoo. It’s there that the police officer allegedly tracked her down. Witnesses say an argument broke out between Joy and the officer, who was armed with an AK-47.
When Jane tried to intervene, the officer opened fire shooting both women dead. He then fled the scene and abandoned his weapon in nearby bushes.
Joy’s family and in-laws are struggling to come to terms with the news. They say she never gave any hint that she was in trouble or involved with anyone else. Her father-in-law described the pain of losing someone they trusted, adding that she was shot multiple times.
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Police are still searching for the suspect as investigations continue. Meanwhile, both families are preparing to lay their loved ones to rest, still reeling from the betrayal and violence that tore through their homes.
Was it love, betrayal, or something darker? For two families in Kitui and Machakos, one secret trip has changed everything and justice can’t come soon enough.
