Homicide detectives have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of Technical University of Kenya (TUK) lecturer Edgar Mokua, in a breakthrough that came after forensic investigators traced a getaway vehicle used to dump his body.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) identified the suspect as Richard Gikuhe Mbugua, who was arrested at Ruiru Blue Estate after detectives linked him to a grey Toyota Ractis, registration KBZ 002R, believed to have transported and dumped Mokua’s remains.
“Thanks to forensic intelligence, investigators established that a grey Toyota Ractis with the registration number KBZ 002R was the vehicle responsible for dropping Mokua’s body at the scene before speeding away,” the DCI said.
The vehicle was later recovered at Murera Farm in Juja and has been detained as a key exhibit in the case.
Mokua was last seen alive on July 6, when he left his home at Princes Park in Lavington at around 4:20pm. When he failed to return, his worried family reported him missing at Muthangari Police Station after their own search efforts came up empty.
Five days later, his body was discovered near Woodcreek Academy by officers from Kiamumbi Police Station, before it was moved to the Nairobi City Mortuary, where relatives formally identified his remains. The disturbing circumstances prompted homicide detectives to take over the probe.
Investigators pieced together Mokua’s final hours, establishing that on the night he vanished, he spent time at Kettle Club in Lavington in the company of two men and a woman. The group later moved to Ibiza Club at Lavington Mall, where his companions eventually left him behind. It was the last time he was seen alive.
From there, forensic analysis of evidence tied the Toyota Ractis to the dump site, a trail that ultimately led detectives to Mbugua’s door.
The suspect is currently held in police custody pending arraignment, as detectives press on with investigations to establish a motive for the killing and determine whether other people may have played a role in Mokua’s death.
The case has drawn wide public attention since Mokua’s disappearance, underscoring growing concern over safety in Nairobi’s nightlife scene and the pressure on detectives to deliver swift justice in high-profile murder cases.
