- Airbnb is an American company operating an online marketplace for short- and long-term homestays and experiences.
- The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking.
Image: FACEBOOK
Online homestays and experiences provider Airbnb has explained that a house where socialite Starlet Wahu Mwangi’s body was found was not registered with them.
An Airbnb spokesperson said the property in question in South B did not have any reservations booked for the dates reported.
Wahu was found dead in an apartment said to have been an Airbnb hours after the incident happened on January 4.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of this shocking event, but it is important to make clear that this is not connected to Airbnb in any way.”
“The property in question did not have a reservation booked on Airbnb for the dates reported, and we do not have an account registered to the name of the accused. Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” a statement said.
Airbnb is an American company operating an online marketplace for short- and long-term homestays and experiences.
The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking.
Airbnb is often used as a catch-all term to describe an entire industry, and the property is listed on other platforms such as Booking.com.
The statement following reports the house was a registered Airbnb.
There has been an increase in murder cases in houses thought to be Airbnb.
Wahu's body was discovered Thursday, January 4 morning on the fourth floor of room Y32 of Papino Apartments in Nairobi's South B, after the watchman reported seeing the male suspect flee with bloodstained clothes.
The owner of the premises who had let it out to Wahu and prime suspect John Matara for a night used a spare key to unlock the house, which had been locked from the outside, only to stumble on the horrifying scene of the deceased's body sprawled on the floor.
The owner said she left it to Matara who booked it.
Police found the young woman's body soaked in a pool of flood, lying midway from the bed towards the main door an indication of an attempt and struggle to call for help.
Examination of the body revealed a stab wound on the head near the left ear, a deep cut on the right thigh and a human bite on the left arm.
Broken glasses and splattered blood throughout the room evidenced a moment of life and death struggle.
Police further discovered HIV testing kits, a used condom, bhang, a bottle of alcohol and a blood-stained kitchen knife, believed to be the murder weapon, at the scene.
Video surveillance from Papino apartments captured Wahu and Matara entering an elevator within the apartment block on Wednesday, before disembarking on the fourth floor and proceeding to the room, which they had reportedly rented for a night.
She was buried at her parents' home in the Kamulu area, Ruai on Saturday, January 6.
Matara, 34 who is a graphic designer would later be traced to Mbagathi Hospital where he was seeking treatment for slight arm and leg injuries.
He was arrested alongside his 25-year-old friend who was helping him at the hospital and escorted to the Industrial Area Police Station.
Police have since gotten court permission to hold them for 21 days as investigations go on.
According to police, the investigations currently point to a possible serial sexual offender who thrives on blackmailing his victims, and who may be part of a criminal ring that targets women on dating sites and other social media applications.