NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of Technical University of Kenya (TUK) lecturer Edgar Mokua, whose body was discovered days after he went missing from his Lavington residence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DCI said homicide detectives arrested Richard Gikuhe Mbugua, who is believed to have played a key role in the killing of the lecturer.
According to investigators, Mokua was last seen on July 6, 2026, when he left his home at Princes Park in Lavington at about 4:20 p.m. He never returned, prompting his family to report his disappearance at Muthangari Police Station after efforts to trace him proved unsuccessful.
Five days later, his body was found at the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary), where it had been taken by officers from Kiamumbi Police Station after being recovered near Woodcreek Academy.
The DCI said the complexity of the case led homicide detectives to take over investigations.
Night Out Before Disappearance
Preliminary investigations established that on the evening he disappeared, Mokua spent several hours at Kettle Club in Lavington with two men and a woman before the group later proceeded to Ibiza Club at Lavington Mall.
According to detectives, Mokua’s companions eventually left the club, leaving him behind. He was not seen alive again.
His body was later discovered dumped near Woodcreek Academy.
Forensic Evidence Leads to Arrest
Investigators said forensic analysis enabled them to identify a grey Toyota Ractis, registration KBZ 002R, as the vehicle allegedly used to dump Mokua’s body before speeding away from the scene.
The discovery triggered a manhunt that culminated in the arrest of Mbugua at Blue Estate in Ruiru.
Detectives also recovered the suspected vehicle at Murera Farm in Juja, where it has been impounded as an exhibit.
The suspect remains in police custody as detectives finalize investigations ahead of his arraignment in court.
The DCI said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the lecturer’s death are ongoing and indicated that further inquiries are continuing to establish the full sequence of events leading to the killing.