Tag: John Matara news

John Matara’s bail hearing on charges of robbery with violence has been postponed due to delays in obtaining the probation report.

Ruiru Magistrate Charles Mwaniki made this decision on Tuesday after the Probation Officer failed to present her report in court.

Back in March, Magistrate Mwaniki had instructed the Officer to provide a report to assist the court in determining the appropriate cash bail or bond for Matara’s release.

However, on Tuesday, Probation Officer Margaret Manda informed the court that although the report was ready, it could not be submitted yet.

She explained that the county director had not yet approved it, and it also needed validation from the regional officer before it could be presented to the court.

Manda requested two weeks to complete these necessary steps.

Meanwhile, Matara’s lawyer, Samwel Ayora, stated that he would use this time to collect the required documents from the prosecution today.

The state did not object to these submissions and requests.

Magistrate Mwaniki directed the Probation Office to submit the report by April 24, coinciding with a mention on the hearing date.

In the case before Ruiru Court, Matara is accused of robbing Sh88,300 from a woman, identified as NW, in Kahawa Wendani on May 16, 2023, using violence during the incident.

Additionally, he faces charges of rape and sexual assault against the same woman on the same day.

Matara was charged on March 6 but pleaded not guilty, seeking release on lenient bond or bail terms.

The state opposed this request, citing another ongoing case involving the accused in a different court and expressing concerns about potential witness interference if Matara were granted bail.

John Matara, currently facing charges related to the murder of socialite Starlet Wahu, has reappeared in court, this time at Ruiru Law Courts, facing accusations of violently robbing and raping a woman in Kahawa Wendani, a Nairobi suburb, in 2023.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) informed Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Mwaniki at Ruiru Law Courts that Matara had threatened the victim with a knife during the robbery, stating that he would eliminate her if she resisted.

Matara, who pleaded not guilty to both the capital offence and the sexual crime, allegedly violently robbed the woman on May 16, 2023, in Kahawa Wendani, stealing Sh30,000 from her mobile money, two mobile phones valued at Sh40,000, an ATM Card, and an international passport worth Sh88,300.

In addition to the robbery charges, Matara faces a separate count of rape, with the prosecution asserting that he sodomized the victim of violent robbery on May 13, 2023.

During the court proceedings, Matara’s lawyer, Samuel Ayora, applied for his client’s release on reasonable bail terms, citing alleged physical assault by police officers during his arrest. Ayora claimed that police pulled Matara’s genitalia and argued that he requires urgent medical attention.

In response, the prosecuting counsel argued that the defense lawyer’s claims should be treated as evidence and recommended filing a formal complaint at a police station for investigation purposes.

Magistrate Mwaniki, in a brief ruling, directed that Matara be taken to the hospital for treatment and a report filed on his medical status. The magistrate specified that the investigating officer should obtain specimens from the accused for DNA analysis, and the results would be presented as evidence in the case.

The ruling on Matara’s release application was reserved for March 8, 2024. Matara is also separately charged with the murder of Wahu, whose lifeless body was found in a South B apartment in Nairobi in January 2024.

John Matara, the main suspect in Scarlet Wahu’s murder, attempted to get in touch with Margaret Wanyama—the woman who was rumored to have had an affair with DJ Mo in 2020—during the epidemic.

However, it appears that Wanyama was not the only person drawn to her. Matara was also a fervent supporter of Wanyama and wrote her numerous private messages over a long period of time in an attempt to set up a meeting. She just recently realized this after recognizing the man and the message he had sent.

“Just think that he talked to me. I’m glad I deleted his communications. “I’m obstructing him,”
She discovered that he was her Facebook friend when he turned out to be the main suspect in Starlet’s horrific death.

Margaret has come forward to discuss the affair, but Matara’s online following of female celebrities is an intriguing side story as well.
His meager 18 followers and 50 followers, which included nine prominent female celebrities, displayed captionless photos on his account.

The comedian, actor, and producer Teacher Wanjiku was one among the celebrities who followed. In addition, Matara followed performers Avril and Diana B, as well as former TV anchors Betty Kyallo, Julie Gichuru, and Janet Mbugua.

In an interview with Citizen TV last week, an apartment manager close to KU described how he once had to step in after Matara “kidnapped” a visiting student.

“He would exchange girls every day. He rarely left his residence. I later came to learn he met the women via dating sites. In March 2023, he brought a girl who was a student, she came visiting but he locked her up. The next day she couldn’t leave the house.
When I managed to get into the house, I found a knife and I helped her get her stuff and leave. The woman had been sodomized and threatened with death.”

Following the pandemic, John Matara—a person suspected of being a serial sex offender—turned his focus to social media in an effort to establish connections with influential people, such as Margaret Wanyama, who is well-known for her affiliation with DJ Mo.

In October 2020, Wanyama gained notoriety following her association with the gospel DJ and the disclosure of their correspondence online. In any case, DJ Mo and Wanyama refuted any misconduct. Following the media frenzy she relished, it appears that Matara also followed her on social media and messaged her privately, requesting a meeting.

Wanyama barely avoided Matara’s attempts, quickly barring him on Facebook after learning he was a friend following his identification as the primary suspect in Starlet Wahu’s horrific death.
He sent Wanyama another direct message in May 2023, asking for her WhatsApp number so they could communicate further and “mingle.”

In response, Wanyama shared a screenshot of the several people who disregarded his messages and expressed gratitude for not coming across any danger.

“Imagine he even chatted me,” Wanyama exclaimed. Fortunately, I deleted his communications. “I didn’t even realize this guy followed me,” she continued. I’ve blocked him.

Matara reached out to other influencers besides Wanyama. Under the street name “Rebelius Monk,” he attempted in vain to interact with other well-known influencers on Instagram.

His Instagram postings, empty of captions, emerged on November 9, 2021. On March 26, 2022, he posted two more images of himself with long, thick hair, one of which had a black cotton headwrap pulled up into a high bun.

With just 50 followers on Instagram, Matara’s account is followed by 18 users, nine of them are well-known, well-known female celebrities. Among the notable people he followed on Instagram were Kourtney Kardashian Barker, an international celebrity, and Taylor Swift.

Berhane Among the influencers he decided to follow is Lucia Natalina. Despite leading a secluded life, not much is known about her. Based in Kenya, Berhane is a marketer, content developer, and expert in skincare and cosmetics.

Teacher Wanjiku, whose true name was Carolyne Wanjiku Tharau, is another someone he idolized. Teacher Wanjiku is an actor, comedian, and producer from Kenya. She is the creator and CEO of Mwalimu Production, a content production business that specializes in kid-targeted animation.

Matara also follows media personality, entrepreneur, and reality TV star Betty Kyallo. He also included entrepreneur and former media star Julie Gichuru on his list of followers. The creator of Inua Dada, Janet Mbugua, together with two artists, Avril and Diana B, were among the individuals Matara decided to follow on social media.

Despite his evil schemes, Matara never really took off on Instagram. When his attempts at using social media failed, he turned to dating websites in order to carry out his complicated schemes.
He was accused of luring women to the Tagged dating service with promises of lavish dates and constant money transfers.

Thus far, three women have accused him of seducing them into AirBnB dates and abusing them; Matara connected with victims using social media sites like Tagged. The social network Tagged, which was founded in 2004, changed its terms of service on December 8, 2023. It now clearly states that it does not do criminal history checks on its users and advises them to use caution while dealing with other users.

Police are documenting their ongoing investigation into Matara’s alleged crimes. Matara is currently the primary suspect in the gruesome murder of socialite Starlet Wahu.