John Matara has told the High Court in Nairobi that deceased socialite Starlet Wahu stabbed him multiple times during their final encounter at an Airbnb apartment in South B on January 3, 2024.

Matara, who is facing a murder charge over Wahu’s death, was giving his defence in the case when he narrated what he said happened shortly before the stabbing.

He told the court that he had met Wahu in 2023 and that the two had subsequently met several times, including at a hotel in Westlands.

Matara said their first encounter involved an agreed payment of Sh35,000.

During a subsequent meeting, he said he paid Sh20,000, leaving an outstanding balance of Sh15,000 which he promised to settle during their next meeting.

Background of the relationship

He testified that after the New Year celebrations, he contacted Wahu and they agreed to meet on January 3, 2024.

According to Matara, he was at a music studio in Imara Daima on January 3 before leaving for South B later in the day to look for accommodation.

He said he booked an Airbnb apartment through Jiji after insisting on a room with a balcony, which he claimed Wahu preferred.

Matara told the court that Wahu arrived at around 8pm and that he went to pick her up from the parking area before they bought a bottle of whisky and returned to the apartment.

He said they spent time together in the apartment before moving to the bedroom.

Matara further testified that they conducted HIV tests, which he said returned negative results, before engaging in further intimacy.

He told the court that Wahu later demanded payment of the outstanding Sh15,000 and another Sh35,000.

Details of the confrontation

Matara claimed that Wahu became angry during the disagreement and allegedly threatened that neither of them would leave the room alive if he failed to pay.

He said he tried to calm her down and contacted his sister in an attempt to secure a soft loan, but she declined to give him the money.

Matara then gave the court his account of the events that preceded the fatal confrontation.

He said that after they had been intimate, he briefly left the room to relieve himself before returning to continue relaxing and finishing his drink.

Matara testified that Wahu was standing when she gently pushed him onto the bed.

He said he fell onto the bed and closed his eyes, believing that they were about to become intimate again.

However, Matara told the court that he suddenly felt multiple sharp pains across his body.

He said they were both naked at the time and alleged that Wahu stabbed him several times.

Aftermath of the incident

“I folded my hands on my chest so as to cover myself,” Matara told the court, adding that he was bleeding profusely and there was blood all over.

He testified that it was then that he realised Wahu was holding a knife, adding that he at no point handled the knife.

Wahu was killed at an Airbnb apartment in South B, Nairobi, on January 3, 2024. Matara faces a murder charge in connection with her death.