Desperate residents and police launched an exhaustive search, however, heartbreaking clues emerged.
Shantel's undergarments and shoes lay discarded on an old blue mattress in an abandoned house nearby and her mother tearfully confirmed the items belonged to her daughter.
Crime Scene Investigations officers processed the scene, collecting the exhibits while the manhunt intensified.
Intelligence quickly pointed to Peter Njuguna, a man living nearby who was arrested and interrogated before leading detectives to his homestead.
With help from members of the public, they retrieved Shantel's lifeless body from his pit latrine. Preliminary findings revealed Njuguna had given the younger sister Sh10 to buy sweets, isolating Shantel.
He then committed an unspeakable act before disposing of her body callously.
Residents in Mathira staged protests on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, expressing grief and demanding accountability.
Some reports indicated heightened anger, with calls for the suspect's release to community justice, though police intervened to maintain order.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga condemned the act, describing Shantel as "a nine-year-old rose flower that was cut off before budding."
Detectives from Mathira West, under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, secured a 21-day custodial order when Njuguna appeared in court.
The swift arrest highlighted community cooperation in tipping off authorities.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations stated, "This heinous crime against innocent Shantel Waruguru Kagema is not just an attack on one family, but an assault on the very fabric of our communities and our collective conscience."
They added, "We stand with Shantel's grieving family and every parent across this nation in declaring that perpetrators of such unspeakable acts against children will face the full force of the law."
The DCI remains resolute in protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
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