Nairobi News

Keroche Breweries Chief Executive Officer Tabitha Karanja has revealed that her late daughter Tecra Muigai transferred money to her boyfriend Omar Lali’s accounts.

While testifying on Tuesday before Senior Resident Magistrate Martha Nanzushi during the inquest into Tecra’s death last April, Ms Karanja said she wants justice.

She said she found it strange that her daughter would pay bills for Mr Lali as she was the younger one in the relationship, adding that Tecra had transferred more than half a million shillings to him between September 2019 and March 2020.

Mr Lali skipped the inquest and was not represented at the hearing.

The Nation established that Tecra fell from the stairs at a private house in Shella on Lamu Island, where she was staying with her boyfriend.

Witness Peter Kariuki, who said he was a friend of the family, remembers a trip to Mt Kenya region during which he says Mr Lali got agitated.

Mr Kariuki said Mr Lali would get uncomfortable whenever a stranger joined them. He said he met the couple about three or four times and that there was an argument every time.

The witness, who works at a restaurant in Naivasha, said Tecra was picked up for a trip to Mt Kenya region and proceeded to Meru National Park in October.

“We all stayed at a hotel. Omar was very agitated but they calmed him down and had fun,” he said.

Many arguments

The witness further said that a Mr Cheruiyot, Tecra’s driver, intervened on many occasions in disputes between the two.

“I left them there and proceeded to the venue. A few minutes later I saw Tecra and Omar in the company of Cheruiyot. It appeared things had cooled down but Omar isolated himself,” he said.

“Omar eventually came to our table and they had another argument. I am not sure whether it was a jealousy issue. It was the first time I saw Omar grab Roy, a friend. Tecra intervened.”

The following day, Mr Kariuki further said, he reached out to Tecra, who told him that they had been having many arguments.

“Most of the arguments were on why Omar was not listening to her or why he did not want anybody around her,” he said.

“She went on to tell me that a week or two before, they had been on a trip to Tanzania, where Omar got into a terrible argument with her brother that almost led into a fight. The working relationship with the driver changed. I would add that all her relationships and friends changed when he came into her life.”