A magistrate’s court has recommended that Omar Lali, 60, face murder charges in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, Tecra Muigai, the Keroche Breweries heiress.
Senior principal magistrate Zainab Abdul found Lali criminally culpable for Tecra’s death, rejecting claims that she died from a fall down stairs.
“The court finds that Omar Lali is criminally culpable for the murder of Tecra,” Abdul stated.
She directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to bring charges under Article 157 of the Kenyan Constitution.
Tecra Muigai is sister to Anerlisa Muigai, and daughter to Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja and chairman Joseph Karanja.
The 29 year old died on May 2, 2020, at Nairobi Hospital after what was initially reported as an accidental fall in Lamu.
However, the court found discrepancies between Lali’s account of the incident and the medical evidence, which showed severe brain damage inconsistent with a simple fall.
The DPP had previously attempted to prosecute Lali in 2020 but later dropped the charges, opting for an open inquest instead. Now, with the court’s new ruling, Lali is once again facing the possibility of murder charges.
Possible Tecra Muigai Murder Motive
Tabitha Karanja, Tecra’s mother, testified during the case, expressing her suspicion that Lali may have had a role in her daughter’s death.
She suggested that her daughter might have refused to continue financially supporting Lali, which could have led to the tragedy.
Karanja highlighted the unusual financial transactions between her daughter and Lali, noting that Tecra, who was 29 at the time of her death, had sent significant sums of money to the then 60-year-old Lali.
As per her mother, Tecra sent Omar Lali Ksh 150,000 on August 19, 2019, and another Ksh 150,000 the next day. She made additional transfers of Ksh 150,000 on August 28, Ksh 100,000 on October 18, and another Ksh 100,000 on November 1.
On November 13, she sent Ksh 200,000, followed by Ksh 100,000 in December. On March 3, 2020, Tecra transferred Ksh 60,000, then Ksh 80,000 ten days later.
Her mother noted that other mobile money transactions brought the total amount sent to over one million shillings.
Initially, Tecra’s family disapproved of the suspect’s relationship with their daughter. But Tecra was adamant, and stood her ground, even taking Lali to visit them in Naivasha, seeking their blessings for marriage.
Mr Lali’s cousin even claimed the deceased had converted to Islam.
Tecra’s untimely death shocked many, and this latest development brings new attention to the case.
The court’s ruling now paves the way for formal murder charges to be filed against Lali, reigniting public interest in the tragedy that claimed the life of the young heiress.
By Vivian K.