This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
On July 16, 2020, the Director of Public Prosecution's office made a surprising move in the case of Tecra Muigai's death, withdrawing the murder charge against Omar Lali, the 54-year-old man accused of her killing.
Just a day after a magistrate's court in Mombasa directed Lali to take a plea, the DPP's office filed an application to withdraw the charge, opting instead for an inquiry to determine the cause of Tecra's death.
Tecra, the daughter of Keroche Breweries Limited heiress, had been found unconscious on a staircase with injuries to her head and face, believed to have been sustained from a fall, on April 27. She succumbed to her injuries on May 2, leading to Lali's arrest.
According to detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department, they had completed their investigation and were ready to file charges against Lali, who was described as a popular 'beach boy' in Lamu where Tecra died.
However, investigators found it difficult to link Lali to the death due to lack of sufficient evidence, leading to the DPP dropping the charge. As one police source described the file, 'it was hollow.'
Subsequently, Garsen High Court Judge Roselyn Korir freed Lali, and Tecra was buried on May 16 at their family home in Naivasha.
