Authorities in Kenya plan a crackdown on premises claiming to be offering online homestays and experiences through Airbnb.
This is after it emerged a house where socialite Starlet Wahu Mwangi’s body was found was not registered with Airbnb.
An Airbnb spokesperson said the property in question in South B did not have any reservations booked for the dates reported.
Wahu was found dead in an apartment alleged to have been an Airbnb hours after the incident happened on January 4.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of this shocking event, but it is important to make clear that this is not connected to Airbnb in any way.”
“The property in question did not have a reservation booked on Airbnb for the dates reported, and we do not have an account registered to the name of the accused. Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” a statement by Airbnb reads.
Airbnb is an American company operating an online marketplace for short- and long-term homestays and experiences.
The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking.
Airbnb is often used as a catch-all term to describe an entire industry, and the property is listed on other platforms such as Booking.com.
The statement came before another woman was found murdered in an apartment in Roysambu area, Nairobi.
The incident remains under probe for now.
