By Erestinah Jane | July 8, 2026
The body of Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager Esther Wairimu Keige has been found in a coffee plantation in Juja, Kiambu County, bringing to a tragic end a nearly month-long search for the 54-year-old advocate who disappeared in June.
The body was discovered on the evening of Monday, July 6, at Area 4 near Karimenu, also known as Fusion Farm, after a farm worker who was cutting grass stumbled upon the remains and alerted authorities.
Juja Sub-County Police Commander Isaac Kombo confirmed the recovery, saying the body was intact but had undergone advanced decomposition. Two members of Keige’s family later visited the scene and formally identified the body.
Police officers processed the scene before transferring the remains to a mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted to establish the cause of death.
According to investigators, local students informed police that they had seen a woman believed to be Keige near their school shortly before her death. The witnesses reportedly told investigators that she had approached them seeking assistance to find food. Police are expected to record additional statements as they reconstruct her final movements.
Keige was reported missing on June 10, 2026, after she was last seen leaving the Senate Hotel in Juja. Reports indicate that her driver had been waiting for her at the hotel when she walked away and never returned, prompting an extensive search by family members, colleagues and law enforcement agencies.
Her disappearance attracted widespread public attention, with relatives expressing concern over her welfare. Family members disclosed that she had been managing depression and had been advised by medical professionals to undertake regular exercise, information that formed part of the police investigation into her disappearance.
Questions have also been raised regarding circumstances surrounding her work environment before she went missing. Activist Boniface Mwangi has publicly alleged that Keige had been experiencing pressure at her workplace before her disappearance. However, these claims have not been independently verified, and authorities have not linked them to the ongoing investigation.
The discovery of Keige’s body has prompted renewed calls for a thorough and transparent investigation. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has urged investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding her death and ensure that any individuals found responsible are held accountable.
Representing the society, lawyer Charles Kanjama emphasized the need for a comprehensive inquiry, noting growing concern over recent deaths involving members of the legal profession. He called on investigative agencies to pursue all available leads and provide answers to the bereaved family and the public.
Police have indicated that investigations remain ongoing and have appealed to anyone with information that could assist detectives to come forward. The findings of the post-mortem examination and forensic investigations are expected to play a key role in determining the circumstances surrounding Keige’s death.
The death of the senior KFS legal officer has shocked colleagues, members of the legal fraternity and the wider public, with many expressing condolences to her family while calling for a swift conclusion to the investigation.
