Beach boy with nine happy lives: I loved Tecra too much to harm her - Omar Lali

Omar Lali was to take murder plea [Photo: Courtesy]

Omar Lali’s murder trial began the way his lover’s life ended...in uncertainty. Weeks after being granted bail by a Lamu court, Omar was on Thursday taken to the High Court in Garsen, where he was expected to plead to a murder charge. But 45 minutes later, he had collapsed onto the courtroom floor, tears rolling down his cheeks and onto his greying beard. Two days earlier, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Lamu received what looked like new evidence in the case that, in their words “was sufficient to prefer a murder charge” against the 51-year-old fisherman. While this was happening, Omar, oblivious of what was going on or what fate awaited him, was splitting his time between the sea and the company of his daughters and mother.

As he waded into the Indian Ocean and savoured the slight breeze that accompanied high tide, a feeling of peace washed over him. He did not know what it was, but he had a good vibe about whatever was coming his way. Omar was scheduled to appear before Lamu Senior Resident Magistrate Temba Sitati for what he thought would be the mention of an ongoing case involving the death of his lover Tecra Muigai, which had sparked claims of foul play from some of her family members. There had been no charges, yet, just investigation. And after spending two weeks in remand, Omar was certain that a murder charge was not on the cards. On Tuesday, July 7, Tecra’s mother and billionaire Tabitha Karanja called a press conference at her offices in Nairobi’s upmarket Riverside Drive. Speculation was rife about what she wanted to say. Her handlers had indicated that the subject of the invite was the ongoing investigations.