An autopsy on the body of Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager Esther Wairimu Keige has failed to determine the cause of her death due to advanced decomposition. Investigators are now awaiting toxicology results for further clues.

• The 54-year-old was found deceased on June 17, 2026, in a coffee plantation in Juja, Kiambu County.
• Esther Wairimu Keige had been reported missing on June 10, 2026.
• Authorities are considering various lines of inquiry, including reports of her battling a serious medical condition and depression, and a new lead from schoolchildren.

Esther Wairimu Keige, the Legal Services Manager for the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), who went missing on June 10, was found deceased on the night of July 6. Police investigations reveal she had been battling depression and undergoing treatment.

• The 54-year-old advocate had previously disappeared from home on three separate occasions due to her mental health struggles.
• The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
• Due to the decomposed state of her body, a post-mortem could not determine the exact cause of death.

Lawyers nationwide held a Purple Ribbon March demanding swift investigations into the recent deaths of two advocates, Edward Kariuki and Esther Wairimu, under unclear circumstances.

• The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) presented a petition to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
• The protests highlight concerns for the safety of legal professionals and the rule of law.
• The deaths occurred approximately one month apart in Athi River and Juja.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has stated that homicide has not been ruled out in the death of Esther Wairimu Keige, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager, whose body was discovered in Juja, Kiambu County.

• Keige went missing on June 10, 2026, after being dropped off at a petrol station to inquire about gym services.
• Her decomposed body was found on July 6, 2026, in a makeshift shelter.
• Investigations are ongoing, with detectives awaiting toxicological and forensic examination results.
• The KFS manager had reportedly been battling depression and had disappeared from home previously.