A tragic love triangle in Nairobi’s central business district has ended in death after a 25-year-old man was found lifeless on the floor of a city hotel just hours after a violent confrontation.
Police identified the deceased as Barnabas Oketch Vola, who was discovered at Kirubros Hotel along Duruma Road on Saturday morning. The events leading to his death are now the subject of an active murder probe.
According to an entry at Kamukunji Police Station (OB 43/13/09/2025), Vola had gone to visit his girlfriend on the fifth floor of the hotel but found her with another man. A heated altercation followed, drawing the attention of the night security guard, who separated the men and escorted Vola to a waiting room. Hours later, he was found dead.
“The deceased visited his girlfriend and found her with another man. A fight broke out, attracting the security guard. The deceased was later escorted downstairs, where his body was discovered in the morning,” police said in their report.
Hotel manager Kelvin Ng’ang’a said he stumbled upon the body during his morning rounds. “At around 10 a.m., I found him lying motionless in the waiting area. It was shocking because we hadn’t anticipated the night’s incident would end this way,” he told reporters.
Investigators revealed that Vola’s body bore head injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. “From CCTV footage and booking records, we believe there was a violent struggle, and we are treating the matter as suspicious,” said Constable Franklin Muiruri, the lead officer on the case.
The police also disclosed that a woman identified as Bilha Nyaboke, believed to be a sex worker, is a key suspect in the ongoing investigation. “We need more time to conduct a post-mortem, question witnesses, and track down another suspect who fled the scene,” Constable Muiruri told the court.
The Nairobi Chief Magistrate has since granted detectives 14 more days to complete investigations, while Nyaboke remains in custody.
