Nairobi's big men weep for their kids

Children from wealthy and prominent families in the city always seem to die mysteriously.

Witchcraft, abandon recklessness, suicide, accidents as well as drugs have often been cited – in public and in private – as causes.

The son of Equity Bank’s founder who died recently after a fall from the second floor of a nightclub in Westlands adds to the growing list of death of young men and women associated with the influential men in Nairobi.

The Nairobian revisits the cases and probable causes of deaths of the heirs and heiresses of vast amounts of wealth in Kenya.

Stephen Ondiek

In November 2002, three children of former assistant minister Archbishop Stephen Ondiek died in a grisly road accident just hours after helping their father win a nomination for the Ugenya parliamentary seat. Soon after, rumour mills, as happens in Kenya, went into overdrive with villagers claiming that the three children had been sacrificed so that the Legio Maria archbishop could win a parliamentary seat. Sadly, the man of God was usually hit by tragedies whenever elections were coming up, and five of his 22 children died after he won elections.

The tragedy – the latest of many to strike the family – happened only hours after their father presented his nomination papers to electoral commission officials.

His jubilant children had the accident when they were returning to Nairobi in the car they used on the campaign trail. Ondiek’s daughter died on the spot. Two sons of the archbishop were flown to Nairobi Hospital where they died just after being admitted into the ICU.

Njeru Githae

In 2012, he youngest son of former Finance minister Robinson Njeru Githae committed suicide in a bizarre incident in their Runda home. The body of 24-year-old Brian Karanga Njeru – a fourth year computer science student at the University of Nairobi – was found in his room after he had failed to turn up for lunch in the day. Police reports showed they were investigating a suicide incident involving Brian.

Apparently, Brian was supposed to turn up at their family home for lunch but did not do so. A spokesman Dr Peter Githae said Brian was found dead in his room and the family could not reveal much. Former minister Githae was reportedly planning to travel to the US for an official event and was forced to cancel it in the wake of the tragedy.

Apart from Brian, the Githaes had two other sons. Brian’s friends and classmates described him as a jovial and social person.

FT Nyamu

The former Tetu MP’s daughter killed herself and the motive remains a subject of speculation.

His second-born daughter also tried committing suicide but was caught in the nick of time and rescued. 

Solicitor General Muchemi Wanjuki

In December 2012, the son of former Solicitor-General Wanjuki Muchemi was found dead at their home. The post-mortem examination showed Muchemi Junior had a cracked skull, which may have been caused by a blunt object that led to his death.

During the requiem mass at Loresho PCEA, Solicitor-General Wanjuki Muchemi candidly admitted his son was bright, loving and humble young man, but had also had a long struggle with alcohol addiction. 

Muchemi Junior, 31, went to Kent Law School in the UK where he only completed two years after being diagnosed with depression, which was later attributed to alcohol addiction. He came back to Kenya and joined Daystar University in 2008 for a communications degree. He was the only son of the Muchemis and had two sisters.

Dalmas Otieno

In May 2008, Dalmas Otieno’s son was killed in a bizarre helicopter crash in Cranbrook, Canada. Isaiah Otieno, 20, was killed when the helicopter crashed on a residential street in Cranbrook, landing on top of him as he walked along the street.

Three men in the helicopter were also killed instantly when the chopper slammed into the street.  Isaiah was on his way to the post office to mail letters to family and friends when the accident occurred. His father, who was then a Public Service minister, said he had spoken with his son by telephone just an hour before he died.

Dalmas went to Canada with a delegation that included his wife and demanded to be compensated for the death of his son.

“There is very little we can do on our own to cope with the trauma and the heart-wrecking experiences following the accident, but support, comfort and involvement of each one of you will contribute a great deal in reconciling us with such an ugly reality,” he said at a news conference at the Southeastern British Columbia College, where his son was a student.

Peter Munga

Early this month, Joseph Tharuma Munga, 38, a software engineer and the son of Equity Bank chairman, Peter Munga, allegedly fell from the second floor of Black Diamond club at Bishan Plaza on Mpaka Road under unclear circumstances.

Joseph, popularly known as JT, died at a Nairobi hospital after he succumbed to injuries following the fall. When he died police were still investigating claims that he committed suicide.

JT had gone to the club at about 2am and was having refreshments. According to Daily Nation, CCTV footage seen by the police showed two women left the club before they were followed by JT a few seconds later.

He is, however, seen leaving the restaurant alone, before screams are heard a few minutes later. The two women were found with the victim’s phone and wallet. They have since been released after interrogations.

Detectives are also yet to establish the identity of a man who escorted the two women to the station and identified himself as a CID officer based at Central police station. The man has allegedly gone underground.

JT leaves behind a wife and two children.

Njenga Karume

The late billionaire Njenga Karume also lost his son under unclear circumstances in September 2010. Joseph Karume Njenga, the eldest son of the prominent Kenyan politician, was killed in a road accident on Nakuru-Molo road late in the night. Police said the billionaire son’s car rammed into a trailer on the Nakuru-Molo road at midnight.

“He died on the spot but a female passenger who was accompanying him was thrown out of the vehicle and  is admitted  at the Rift Valley General Hospital with serious internal injuries,” Molo police boss Achesa Litabalia told journalists at the time.

“The driver must have been speeding since the speedometer mark stopped at 140kph.”

Patrick Muiruri

A son of former Gatundu North MP Patrick Muiruri was on January 24 shot dead following a dispute over a woman. Witnesses and police said James Ng’ang’a Muiruri was allegedly shot three times in the head by a police officer he had an argument with in a bar.

The shooting occurred on Ring Road in Westlands, a few metres from the bar. Ng’ang’a was with his brother and friends in a car when the incident occurred. Witnesses said the two had an argument over a woman at Crooked Q Restaurant after an overnight drinking spree. The club management said they decided to close and throw out patrons, including Ng’ang’a’s group after the argument degenerated into violence.

The group left in three cars before a fourth car, which the officer was driving, intercepted them. An argument ensued before the officer allegedly drew out a gun and shot him three times in the head at close range. The officer then allegedly jumped back into his car and drove off. And instead of rushing Ngang’a to hospital, his colleagues allegedly drove to Parklands police station to report the shooting. Ng’ang’a was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

James Kanyotu

One of the sons of James Kanyotu – the trusted spy chief of Presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi – was killed in a grisly road accident after a drunken argument over their expensive cars. He had a drink with his friends and an argument ensued on who had the biggest and most powerful car. In the height of drunkenness, the young man got into a Range Rover, and at a speed of more than 100kph, crashed into a tree. He died on the spot.

Hassan Ole Kamwaro

In April, a decomposing body of a Kenyan woman said to be dead for almost three weeks was found in her home in Cologne, Germany.

The young woman, identified as Jennifer Naserian Kamwaro, was the daughter of Hassan ole Kamwaro, a former chairman of the Transport Licensing Board. The woman, also known as Jenny Maasai to Kenyans in Cologne, was found after neighbours detected a strong smell coming from her apartment building.

The neigbours called police who traced the smell to her house and broke into it. They found her badly decomposed body and it was determined she may have been dead for almost three weeks. Jenny had been suffering from cancer and had given up on medication.

“My daughter had been sick, and when the pain from cancer became unbearable, she cut communication with the rest of the family and stopped taking medication. My daughter died a sad lonely death,” Kamwaro told The Nairobian.

She was 40 years old.