A night of entertainment in Nairobi has ended in heartbreak and mystery after a 53-year-old quantity surveyor was allegedly drugged, robbed of KSh 300,000, and left to die in what detectives believe is the work of a sophisticated criminal gang preying on unsuspecting nightclub patrons.
The victim, Edgar Otachi Mokua, was enjoying an evening at a popular club in Lavington on the night of July 7 when he reportedly met a woman who investigators now believe is part of a dangerous syndicate targeting wealthy men.
According to detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), CCTV footage captured Mokua spending time with the woman inside the club before the pair walked out together at around 10 p.m., each carrying what appeared to be alcoholic drinks. Moments later, another woman joined them in the parking area, and the three boarded a waiting vehicle before driving away.
Tragically, that was the last time Mokua was seen alive.
Investigators believe the suspects laced his drink with an unknown substance, leaving him unable to defend himself as they allegedly stole KSh 300,000 from his mobile money account. Police say the money was immediately transferred to the main suspect before being shared with a man and another woman believed to be members of the same criminal network.
The case took a heartbreaking turn when Mokua failed to return home, prompting his worried family to report him missing. The following morning, police recovered the body of an unidentified man in Roysambu and transported it to the Nairobi Funeral Home. Two days later, devastated relatives identified the body as that of Mokua.
Although a postmortem examination did not immediately reveal the cause of death, detectives are awaiting toxicology results that will determine whether drugs allegedly slipped into his drink caused his death.
Investigators have since linked the main female suspect to another case involving a man who was allegedly drugged and robbed under similar circumstances. CCTV footage from entertainment venues in both Lavington and Ruiru reportedly shows the suspect spending time with male victims before large sums of money were transferred from their phones.
Police say the woman is believed to reside in Kasarani, but she and her two alleged accomplices disappeared shortly after the murder investigation began. Authorities now believe the trio is on the run, although their identities have not yet been released as investigations continue.
Witnesses working at the Lavington club told detectives that Mokua was a familiar customer, but the woman accompanying him had never been seen there before.
The chilling incident has once again raised alarm over criminal gangs operating in Nairobi’s nightlife scene. Despite repeated warnings from the DCI urging revellers never to leave clubs with strangers or accept unattended drinks, similar cases continue to emerge, with some ending in robbery and others, like Mokua’s, in tragic loss of life.
As detectives intensify the manhunt for the suspects, Mokua’s family is left grieving and searching for answers, hoping justice will be served for their loved one.
