An inquest into the death of Keroche Breweries heiress Tecra Muigai commenced on Monday at Milimani law courts in Nairobi.
Tecra’s mother Tabitha Karanja, who was the first to testify, accused Tecra’s boyfriend Omar Lali of preying on her daughter, saying she transferred huge sums of money to him before her death.
While asking God to avenge her daughter’s death, the Keroche Breweries founder and CEO lamented how Tecra worked hard only to share her money with an old man, who was supposed to be providing for her.
She read Tecra’s bank statement that showed how she transferred more than Sh1 million to Lali, 52, within five months.
“He was after my daughter’s hard-earned income and when she realized that she could not give him money anymore, he killed her,” an emotional Tabitha said.
Documents show that Tecra transferred Sh150,000 to Lali on August 19th, 2019, and a similar amount the following day. She also moved another Sh150,000 to him eight days later.
On October 18th, 2019, the deceased sent to Lali Sh100,000 and another Sh100,000 on November 1st, 2019. Two weeks later on November 13th, she transferred Sh200,000 to her boyfriend and an additional Sh100,000 the next month.
Tecra sent Lali Sh60,000 and Sh80,000 on March 3rd, 2020, and March 13th respectively. Tabitha also told the court that police found unsigned bank slips in the house Tecra cohabited with Lali, whereby she had transferred money to him.
Tabitha said she was shocked when her daughter sent her a photo of her boyfriend on WhatsApp. “I told her that she had sent the wrong photo. The guy was too old for her…She told me, No, he is the one,” said Tabitha.
She tried to convince Tecra to stop dating Lali but her advice fell on deaf ears. Tabitha added that Tecra admitted she had relationship problems with Lali but she refused to quit. “When your child is over 30, there is very little you can do,” she said.
Tecra died at the Nairobi Hospital on May 2nd, a few days after she allegedly fell down the stairs at a holiday home in Lamu, where she was living with Lali.
An autopsy revealed that Tecra succumbed to injuries she suffered on the left side of her head, which was consistent with a fall down the stairs.
But Tabitha told the court that the family believes their daughter was murdered.
“It was not true what Omar was alleging. The injuries were severe so we reported to the police. The doctor told us that if it was a fall, there would have been scars in other parts of the body. She had two cracks on the head,” Tabitha explained.
She added that Lali lied that Tecra was drunk at the time, yet the doctors’ report revealed that she had not taken any alcohol.
MWAKILISHI tuletee ya…
MWAKILISHI tuletee ya BAPTIZER(John) KIRURU(Pombe) VIRO/YALE(Makufuri) ati in Nairobi Hospital suffering from COVID-19.I wonder how he can suffer from a disease he declared is non-existence.
52 yrs old is not an old man
52 yrs old is not an old man
Lol…yes!
Lol…yes!
Family pattern. The mother…
Family pattern. The mother is married to an old man the only difference is that the daughter was dating a dude who looks like medieval.
Tabitha you are still in…
Tabitha you are still in denial?
Sh 1M is pocket change not…
Sh 1M is pocket change not worth talking, I know Kenyans who drink more than that in one month
It is interesting to note…
It is interesting to note that,”the old man” was supposed to be providing for her,the daughter, so claims the mother.What’s wrong for her providing for him if she has plenty to go around.Men do it all the time.Its called sharing.I think the days men used to provide for women is went they stayed home to raise kids,which is avery hard job as those with kids know.I guess the mother thinks that it would have made abig difference if the boyfriend was younger,or same age as the daughter.Well,it would be worse if the boyfriend was younger.He would be a recipient of her largess far longer than Mzee…
I just hate to see Lali…
I just hate to see Lali being insulted as an old man who used witchery to love Tecra!
Mama, it is sad that your daughter died, but Lali did not use any witchery to have your daughter! The only “witchery” he may her used is that ‘big thing’ between his legs to keep your daughter happy and satisfied!
Tecra willingly spent her money on Lali because she loved him! Love is blind and does not cost a thing!
It is clearly understandable that you don’t like Lali because he is not a rich boy; and he lived a beach type of life! But Tecra loved him simply the way he was and lived!
Love is just blind and all she wanted was happiness that Lali provided! They both seemed very happy together!
A 52 year old male is pretty young in many societies world wide! How would you categorize your husband who is in the seventies?
Please, let us be serious here? While the pain is real for losing a child, please respect your late daughter for the choice of a lover she made.
Your showing her rejection of her man’s choice may have contributed to her drinking habits which led to her death! Surely you had a lot of problems withLali because he did not fit the appearance of “a blue eyed boy you hoped your daughter to love”!
This situation creates a good learning impetus for the wealthy African families who tend to badly influence their children’s choices for a spouse and then end up driving them to a fatal end!
What is wrong with a well off woman supporting her lover in the 21st century? You are just too caught up in the bad old time kikuyu traditional habits of discriminating on a poor boy who can’t afford to pay a sizeable dowry for a good show off, Ok!
The late Wambui Otieno lover Mr Mbugua, was a very young man! What is your take about that relationship?
Please don’t play to the gallery by insulting your daughter’ lover choice! People are beginning to think you are the problem in all this! I don’t think God will punish Lali for loving Tecra! He is a very fair and reasonable God!
I am sorry to tell you the truth at this difficult part of your life! But please remember love does not cost a thing! Tecra loved Lali and she was honestly happy and proud of her man and her decision! It would have been much easier for Tecra if you had supported her lover’s choice from the get go ( meaning from the moment you found out she was in love with a 52 year young beach boy! Astera vista baby – sorry mama!
@mungai – I like your…
@mungai – I like your perceptive analysis of this whole situation! They all got caught flat footed by a daughter who saw love in a poor man and just loved him for who he was to her!
Tabitha thinks love is based on material possessions, fame, family network connections. And that is why she is making an ass of herself in the public eye. Tecra died of a falling accident while she was highly inebriated withe alcohol! I wonder who initially taught her to drink alcohol that bad!
Everything here is quite unfortunate! Jailing Lali will not bring Tecra back. It is time to be level headed, accept the facts and move on with life.
Mrs Karanja – please let…
Mrs Karanja – please let Tecra RIP! Just look at the picture of your late daughter and Lali – she looks happy to the world! Probably Lali filled the happiness void in her heart! Something her immediate family could never provide!
Why do you think Lali preyed on your daughter while she was willing to provide material support to Lali! I’m just wondering? Women financially support men all the time! One million shillings is not a big deal for a billionaire family!
My poor son Chege once loved a girl from a very rich family but was subjected to the same treatment you are subjecting Lali because we are fairly poor! You are disrespecting your late daughter for loving Lali! They never married but the girl was internally harmed for ever! She turned into drinking alcohol silly because she couldn’t understand why her parents were so mean to her for loving my boy!
Please look at yourself in the mirror, take a picture of your face, put it next to that of your daughter with her lover, and you will see how crazily mad you look while your daughter is happily smiling!
In the old days we used to marry older men but no one complained about their age. Ghee Mrs Karanja, what is wrong with you?
Writer Ngugi Wathiongo once wrote in the Novel called The River Between, “the oil skin of the family is not to be smeared to the skins of the strangers”! That simply means in Gikuyu; “Kagutui kamucii gatihakaguo ageni”! You are putting the bad business of your family all over the place!
Just let it go because at this point you can’t change anything! Let it go and please seek Heavenly peace to free your bitter heart!
Wow boy, Mama Chege! Wow!…
Wow boy, Mama Chege! Wow! Did Chege ever find a good suitor to marry? I like your good advice to Tabitha! I will read the River Between novel one more time! I think I missed that good Thimo! Is it the oilskin of the family or (the House)? All in all I think you are quite precise in what you have said!
I don’t think Lali was out…
I don’t think Lali was out there to kill Tecra! They seem to have enjoyed each other’s company and showed good love chemistry. Lali also lost a lot when Tecra died! It just too unfortunate for a parent to view a daughter’s boy friend from that nasty lens of poverty. That kind of attitude may have played a major part in Tecra drinking herself to death!