Mother Seeks Justice After Teen Daughter Allegedly Killed by Father

A 15-year-old girl was killed in Nairobi in late December, with police alleging she was assaulted by her father, who remains at large.

Pamela Sande is mourning the death of her daughter, Shirleen Nyangweso, in Mathare. The teenager had been living with her father, Nelson Omeno, in Dandora but travelled to Mathare on 26 December to visit her mother. A few days later, Omeno collected her and took her back, despite objections from his own mother.

Police say Shirleen was beaten on 31 December and later died from her injuries.

Her body was abandoned at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, where staff notified the authorities. By the time police began their inquiries, Omeno had disappeared. He is the main suspect, and efforts to trace him are ongoing.

Relatives say the killing followed years of warning signs. Omeno’s mother, Ruth Keya, said she pleaded with him not to take Shirleen from Mathare. She believes that decision may have been the last chance to prevent the violence.

Family members describe Omeno as having a long history of unstable behaviour. After his father died in Butere, Kakamega County, he reportedly became difficult to manage. His mother later sent him to Nairobi to live with an older brother, but that arrangement failed. He was eventually trained as a carpenter by a well-wisher, which provided work but did not resolve concerns about his temper.

Omeno had two households. His first was with Pamela Sande, with whom he had four children, including Shirleen. Sande says she was taken from school as a teenager and brought to Nairobi against the wishes of Omeno’s family. He later formed a second household in Donholm with another woman, who had two children with him. Police say the assault on Shirleen took place in this Donholm home.

Relatives also report earlier incidents of violence. They allege that Shirleen’s younger sister was burned by Omeno when she was a toddler. Despite these claims, there is no indication that sustained protective measures were put in place.

Shirleen’s family fears the investigation could lose momentum without continued scrutiny. Authorities have not said whether previous complaints were formally recorded.