A Kenyan caregiver, Irene Wanjiru Mbugua, 48, was tragically killed while on duty in the United Kingdom after being attacked by a male patient reportedly suffering from mental illness.

Mbugua’s body was discovered at around 1 a.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025, in a residence on Markby Road in Winson Green, Birmingham, where she had been working a residential caregiving shift.

Originally from Mataara, Gatundu North in Kiambu County, Kenya, Mbugua had been living and working in the UK for two years under a local caregiving agency. She was also a mother of four, known for her dedication both to her profession and her family.

Her brother, Gilbert Mbugua, confirmed to journalists that she had been bludgeoned with a blunt object by the patient she was caring for. A post-mortem later confirmed blunt force trauma as the cause of death.

“Her death is heartbreaking,” Gilbert said. “She had just reunited with her young twin sons, who arrived in the UK from Kenya only a week earlier. She was excited to welcome them to her home in Nottingham, where her eldest son also lives.”

Concern arose when Mbugua failed to file her mandatory daily work report. After her family and employer were unable to reach her, West Midlands Police were alerted. Officers later found her body inside the home where she had been on a three-week live-in assignment.

A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. Authorities say they are not seeking any other suspects in connection with the incident.

Mbugua’s death has sent shockwaves through the African caregiving community in the UK, where she was known as a respected and compassionate professional.