The family of the late Keroche Breweries Innovations and Strategy Director Tecra Muigai wants her boyfriend Omar Lali charged with murder, according to reports.
Preliminary autopsy report prepared by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor shows Tecra succumbed to injuries she suffered on the left side of her head.
The postmortem examination was carried out at Nairobi’s Lee Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 12th, with Oduor noting that the injuries are consistent with a fall down the stairs.
Tecra’s parents Tabitha and Joseph Karanja, the billionaire owners of Keroche Breweries, have hired Senior Counsel James Orengo to represent the family in the matter.
While Orengo insists the injuries the deceased sustained were as a result of a push down the stairs, Lali’s representatives believe it was an accident, The Standard reports.
The body of the deceased did not have any signs of struggle before death and had no defense injuries to suggest any foul play.
Tecra is said to have tumbled down the stairs at a private house in Lamu in which she was living with her boyfriend. She died while receiving treatment at the Nairobi Hospital on May 2nd, four days after the incident.
Lali, 51, was arrested and arraigned with the court allowing police to detain him for 21 days pending conclusion of investigations into the circumstances leading to her death. The case will be mentioned on May 26th.
Lali has maintained innocence, saying he loved Tecra and did not have any reason to murder her. In an interview with The Standard, he said Tecra died as a result of an accident.
On the fateful night, Lali said he slept on a sofa and left Tecra awake. He added that he only took a little amount of alcohol as he was on antibiotics.
“We woke up late that day, ate our lunch at around 2 p.m. then we each went on to do different things,” said Lali.
Lali, a father of five, said he spent a few hours with his daughter and reunited with Tecra at around 6 pm.
“I ordered five liters of madafu and she ordered three bottles of vodka. We had passion juice in our possession too. I was on medication, so I didn’t drink as much. I lay on a nearby sofa and dozed off,” he stated.
He noted that he was woken up by a loud bang only to find Tecra had fallen down the stairs and was bleeding from her nose and ears.
“I heard a loud thud and a single scream. I looked towards where Tecra was sleeping and found out she wasn’t around. I looked towards the staircase and saw her at the bottom. I tried to conduct first aid by fanning her and later tried to resuscitate her,” said Lali.
After some time, he said, Tecra regained consciousness but complained of pain on the head and limbs. Lali phoned his brother and they took her to a health center but she was transferred to King Fahd County Referral Hospital after a doctor recommended a CT.
Lali later called Tecra’s sister, Arnelisa Muigai who disclosed that they had spoken on phone at 2:30 am. Tecra was airlifted by Amref to Nairobi for further treatment the following day but she died three days later.
“She wanted us to settle down. I helped her look for a house in Naivasha. But she is gone. Why would I kill her? Why won’t people accept God’s will? This girl was special. I will never find anyone like her again,” said Lali.
Tecra will be laid to rest this week in a private family ceremony in Naivasha.
