On that fateful Saturday night, Saumu, the popular daughter of Nairobi Governor Sonko had left her Garden Estate home for Memphis where she had a date night with Lamu Senator Anwar Loitiptip. Coincidentally, Anwar was also in Garden Estate where he reportedly came from for the meet up.
And with investigations still going on, the big questions still remain unanswered as to why a man claiming to be Saumu’s boyfriend would strike twice with a gang. The senator was almost killed on the gang’s second attempt.
It was the UEFA Champions League finals night and Memphis, the club, was packed to capacity. Most of its guests were the usual United States International University (USIU) students who frequent the joint.
What no one can answer is, who was the gang targeting? Saumu or Anwar? With the two believed to be in love, police now believe the attackers trailed them before the drama broke out.
The incident happened about 2am, four hours after the football match had ended.
According to reports, the first term youthful legislator, 33, had been with Saumu when they were attacked by unknown men as they left the club. The Jubilee Senator sustained deep head cuts in the fracas before he was rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital where he was still admitted by the time of going to press.
Saumu told police she had been with the senator at the club that Saturday night watching the UEFA Champions League finals and she had excused herself to the washrooms when trouble begun. She said that while in the washrooms, a man confronted her pulling her blouse that he allegedly tore.
She told police she screamed in the confrontation in the toilet and an unknown person threw a stone there. Her attacker let her off and got into another room near the toilet. By then, the Senator who was apparently alerted of the incident rushed there.
According to Saumu, Anwar told off the man, declaring the governor’s daughter was his girlfriend. “Unatakia nini mwanamke wangu. Toka uniface uniongeleshe kama mwanamume,” Saumu said the Senator asked he attacker. “The man came out of the room and pleaded for forgiveness and I told Anwar to let him go,” she said.
And as the senator and Saumu walked to the parking lot at about 2.40 am where their car was parked, they were reportedly attacked by about nine men who were in the company of the brown man who had confronted her in the toilet.
She said the gang beat him to the ground using clubs injuring his head. Saumu told police in her statement she tried to cover Loitiptip from the beating using her hand and she sustained injuries on her right hand.
The gang escaped from the site leaving a bleeding senator and Saumu on the ground. It was after this that Saumu called her cousin and step-sister who helped take the legislator to the hospital. One suspect is in custody and eight others are on the run.
The owners of the club, however, say they had nothing to do with the incident. They argue the incident happened at the toilets and car park, which are far away from the club.
