On Saturday afternoon, Tecra Karanja, daughter of Keroche Breweries chief executive Tabitha Karanja took her last breath.
On the following Sunday, the family made the sad news announcing that she had only died of ‘tragic accident’.
However, as time unfolded, disturbing details about the cause of her death began to emerge.
On 28th April, 2020, the last born of Tabitha Karanja fell off from the stairs at a private house in Shella on Lamu Island
She had been living with her boyfriend Omar Lali at the same residence.
Mr.Lali is now in police custody as he helps police with investigations.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi has sent a team of homicide detectives to Lamu, where they will carry out detailed investigation that led to the death.
The family which was not satisfied into the cause of the fall, had written and complained to Head of Serious Crimes at the DCI Joseph Kariuki.
The complain had been launched before the demise of late Tecra.
“It is after her death that we are now handing the matter to the Homicide Unit, and we have asked them to move into the house,” he said.
DCI Kariuki told Nation that they were also waiting for the postmortem report
“However, we have interrogated several people in regards to the matter and are waiting for a post-mortem and then maybe we can corroborate with what we get from the statements and what the investigators find,” he stated.
Boyfriend’s conflicting info
Mr. Lali had earlier reported contradicting info about Tecra’s fall before death.
He had reported that the lady fell off from the stairs while reported again that she fell in the bathroom.
“He initially said the lady fell off the stairs and later said she fell in the bathroom. Both accounts, however, are not even consistent with the place where first responders found her,” a source told Nation.
Before being airlifted to Nairobi, Tecra had been rushed to a local health centre identified as King Fahad.
Tecra had lost great amount of blood by the time she was attended to by medics.
It was also revealed that Tecra and boyfriend were supposed to stay at Manda-Diamond Hotel in Shella but opted to stay at local residence.
The hotel had been closed due to government directive on measures to control spread of COVID-19.
She continued her drinking lifestyle with the boyfriend at the residence, and on the third day, she was found unconscious and blood oozing from her mouth
“It was on Tuesday last week when one of our friends found her in a coma in the house. By that time, her boyfriend was still asleep in the house. We had to wake him up. He was in shock after finding out that she was immobile,” a source said.
When her mother learned of her predicament through phone calls, she immediately sent a private chopper to pick her at Manda Airport strip.
“It’s unfortunate that she succumbed to the injuries she sustained here in Lamu. We’re saddened by her death,” one of her close friends in Lamu said.
Facts about Tecra Muigia
Here are interesting facts about Tecra Muigai
- Tecra Muigai was the last born in the family four ( James Karanja, Anerlisa Muigai, Edward Muigai and Tecra Muigai)of Tabitha Karanja and Joseph Karanja. She was younger sister to Anerlisa Muigai, who is an entrepreneur and spouse to Ben Pol, Tanzanian music star
- Her mother Tabitha Mukami Muigai Karanja is a Kenyan businesswoman, entrepreneur and industrialist
- Family described Tecra as a humble lady, who preferred to live a private life, away from her family’s fame.
- After studying abroad , UK and Italy , she came back to work at her mother’s firm- Keroche Breweries, she served as director of strategy and innovation.
- While in coast region, she was always seen with boyfriend Mr.Lali
- Before her death, she had been living in Shella, with Mr. Lali close to one month from April
- Tecra Muigai is reported to have been living a lavish lifestyle, including daily drinking and chewing miraa with the boyfriend.
- Her relationship with Mr.Lali, was several times reported to be rocky and uncertain.
- They had started dating publicly in mid 2019, but close friends to Tecra said that they felt the boyfriend was taking advantage of her money. Their relationship differences could occasionally spill off to public, and it was never a secrete their love was not good to public
- The family knew this, and had even tried to sent her brother to try and convince her end the relationship