Did Keroche Breweries’ Tecra fatally fall from a balcony?

Joseph Karanja with wife Tabitha and daughter Tecra Muigai. [Jenipher Wachie/Standard]

Tecra Muigai, daughter of Keroche Breweries owners Tabitha and Joseph Karanja, may have died after falling from the balcony of a holiday home in Lamu, sources reveal.

Yesterday, sources familiar with the incident said Tecra was admitted to a Nairobi hospital where she succumbed to injuries sustained after the Thursday fall.

Her death was confirmed yesterday in a press statement issued by the family. According to the statement, Tecra died on Saturday after "a tragic accident.

Although the statement did not reveal details of the “tragic accident”, sources said Tecra was airlifted from Lamu after falling from the balcony of a luxury holiday home where she was living with a friend.

“She was in ICU for three days before she passed on,” said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Tecra was, until her death, the Director of Strategy and Innovation at Keroche Breweries.

Detectives from the homicide unit at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have taken over the probe into her death.

A planned postmortem yesterday was postponed after the detectives said there were issues they wanted to cover first.

The officers said they will interview a number people who were with Tecra when the accident happened. The team also plans to visit the place where the accident happened.

They want to ensure any questions regarding the death are addressed, said one officer. 

Tabitha and Karanja have four children -- James Karanja, Anerlisa Muigai, Edward Muigai and Tecra Muigai.

Keroche Breweries paid tribute to her brilliance, passion and energy. The company said she was the source of important innovations that have enriched the company’s product range, including development of new brands that were scheduled to be launched this year.

“While we mourn the loss of a remarkable young lady, we also celebrate her life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true and to be willing to explore and push their limits,” reads the statement.

Yesterday, the entertainment world stood with Anerlisa, her younger sister who is a big name in the showbiz industry.

Some Instagram virtual entertainment shows accorded the late Tecra a moment of silence, with presenters such as CMB Prezzo and Shaffie Weru saluting her as a “sweet soul”.

And as the heartbreaking news became the big story in celebvile, it was clear that Tecra had lived a quiet life, unlike her sister who has always made good fodder for paparazzi, thanks to her adored ‘rich kid’ flashy lifestyle.

“Tecra’s death took all of us, especially guys who were her friends, by surprise. I knew Tecra as a true friend for years and I am so saddened by the bad news,” rapper Jackson Makini, aka CMB Prezzo, said.

CMB Prezzo and Tecra had a short love affair back in 2012 just before the My City My Town rapper joined the continental Big Brother reality TV show.

“Tecra was a true friend and a happy soul, somebody who knew what she wanted in life. She stood for her friends and wasn’t the kind of person who likes dropping names simply because she is from a big family,” CMB Prezzo said.

Tecra studied at Greenwich University in the United Kingdom before moving to Italy where she furthered her education.

And taking to social media, Anerlisa alluded that her sister had not died from a car accident.

“She did not pass because of a car accident. Nkt,” Anerlisa posted on an Insta story after a fan made an update claiming that Tecra had died in a car accident.

“I love her to the last bit,” Anerlisa added.

(Report by Kamore Maina, Stevens Muendo and Cyrus Ombati)