NAIROBI, Kenya — A man has been charged with the murder of Technical University of Kenya (TUK) lecturer Edgar Mokua, whose body was found days after he went missing from his Nairobi home.
Richard Gikuhe Mbugua was arraigned before Milimani High Court Judge Margaret Muigai, where he denied murdering Mokua jointly with others who have not been presented before the court.
Mbugua’s lawyers, Stanley Kinyanjui, Martina Swiga and Danstan Omari, applied for his release on bond, arguing that he was not a flight risk.
The prosecution opposed the application, telling the court that police took several weeks to apprehend the accused.
Justice Muigai directed the probation office to prepare a pre-bail report after interviewing both Mbugua’s family and the family of the deceased before she determines whether he should be released on bond.
Mbugua was subsequently remanded in prison custody pending the report.
Mokua disappeared after leaving Lavington home
According to court filings, Mokua was last seen on July 6, 2026, after leaving his residence at Princes Park in Lavington, Nairobi County, at about 4.20 pm.
He did not return home, prompting his family to launch efforts to establish his whereabouts.
After attempts to trace him proved unsuccessful, the family reported him missing at Muthangari Police Station.
The court heard that Mokua’s wife, Anne Kalimatinde, a World Food Programme (WFP) employee based in Kampala, Uganda, recorded a statement with homicide detectives detailing her efforts to locate her husband after he disappeared.
Body found at City Mortuary
Police investigations established that Mokua’s body had been taken to the City Mortuary on July 7, a day after he was last seen.
The body had reportedly been recovered by officers from Kiamumbi Police Station along Kamiti Road near Woodcreek Academy.
His family only discovered that he was at the mortuary on July 11, when efforts to locate him had continued for several days.
The circumstances surrounding how Mokua died and how his body was transported to the mortuary are now part of the homicide investigation.
Detectives retrace lecturer’s final hours
Investigators have been piecing together Mokua’s final movements using witness statements and CCTV footage obtained from entertainment venues in Lavington.
According to the investigations presented in court, Mokua spent several hours at Kettle Club in Lavington on the night he disappeared before proceeding to Ibiza Club at Lavington Mall at around 11 pm.
He was reportedly accompanied by two men and a woman.
CCTV footage from the club allegedly shows Mokua engaging in conversation with a woman who was sitting alone at the counter.
At about 3.30 am, the two men and the other woman who had been with Mokua reportedly left the club.
Mokua then allegedly joined the woman at the counter.
The CCTV footage reportedly captures the two leaving the club together at about 4.41am, with Mokua carrying two tumblers.
Vehicle linked to body disposal
After leaving the club, detectives say Mokua and the woman boarded a vehicle.
Investigators have established that the same vehicle was allegedly used to transport and dump Mokua’s body along Kamiti Road before leaving the scene.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the journey from the club to the location where the body was found and seeking to establish what happened in the intervening hours.
The identity and role of the woman and other people believed to have been with Mokua remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Toxicology tests underway
A toxicological examination is also being conducted at government laboratories to establish whether Mokua may have been drugged before his death.
The results are expected to help investigators determine whether any substance was present in his system and whether it could have contributed to his death or impaired his ability to protect himself.
Police have said they are pursuing multiple leads as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the lecturer’s death.
Other suspects still being pursued
The prosecution told the court that homicide detectives were pursuing leads aimed at identifying and apprehending other suspects who are still at large.
Investigators said they were closing in on the other individuals believed to be connected to the case.
Mbugua is currently the only person before the court in connection with Mokua’s death.
The prosecution is expected to rely on further investigative findings as detectives continue to establish the sequence of events leading to the lecturer’s death.
