‘Jeff Mwathi had no underwear at time of death’
By Richard MungutiA court inquiring into the mysterious death of interior designer Jeff Mwathi has heard that the deceased had no underwear when his body was retrieved.
In an incident that caused public attention and outcry, Mwathi died in mysterious circumstances at the residence of Lawrence Njuguna Wagura alias DJ Fatxo.
A police report absolved DJ Fatxo from blame and an inquiry, chaired by Milimani law court senior principal magistrate Zainab Abdul is considering evidence in the inquest to establish the cause of death.
The inquiry heard that the deceased had no belt at the time his body was recovered.
Ms Abdul was told by Stephen Muchoki Mwathi, an uncle to the deceased, that on February 22,2023, Jeff had asked his mother Hannah Wachuka Mwathi to send him Sh200 to cater for his fare when he was going to DJ Fatxo’s residence at Kasarani Nairobi.
Jeff and DJ Fatxo used to work together, with the former doing interior works for the shops of the DJ.
Further, the magistrate was informed the deceased sought assistance of Sh500 to send to his ex-girl-friend Jane Wanjiru Maina to board a Uber to her residence.
The inquiry also heard that Jeff had an altercation with his mother who had asked him to stop the shoes business he was doing in the city.
Jeff had spoken to his mother on phone at 3.35am and send her photos two hours before his death.
Jeff died at around 5.47am February 22, 2023.
Ms Abdul heard the two postmortem results showed that Jeff died from the impact of a fall and ‘pathologists ruled out foul play in his demise’.
Two postmortems were conducted on the body of Jeff. The second autopsy was carried out by the Governments chief pathologist Johansen Oduor after exhumation of the body from Nakuru where he had been interred.
Asked questions by the deceased family lawyer Danstan Omari and cross-examined by Duncan Okatchi, lawyer for DJ Fatxo, Muchoki said although Jeff was suffering, he is not aware if he harbored suicidal thoughts.
Asked questions by Omari, Muchoki said on the day Jeff died, DJ Fatxo went to the house accompanied by three women who left after sometime.
But Muchoki after DJ Fatxo left with the women, his driver and another person returned to the house and CCTV footage does not capture them leaving.
Muchoki, who is the first witness to testify and led by state prosecutor Abel Omariba, said a CCTV footage shows, Jeff falling from the 10th floor of the residence of DJ Fatxo.
Jeff allegedly jumped to his death at 5.47am.
DJ Fatxo left his house around 4am in the company of the three women friends.
The witness said he was informed through phone that Jeff, an interior designer, had gone missing at the house of DJ Fatxo.
Muchoki said he proceeded to Nairobi from Nakuru on February 23,2023, a day after Jeff died to identify his body at the Nairobi City Morgue.
“Did you identify the body of Jeff?” Omari asked Muchoki.
“Yes I identified the body of Jeff at the city morgue. It had facial injuries consistent with a fall,” Muchoki answered.
He said the torso of body was covered.
On further examination by Omari, Muchoki said he visited the residence of DJ Fatxo in the company of a police officer Samuel Muchoki alias Samidoh on February 23, 2023.
He said Samidoh who was accompanied by his colleagues from Kasarani attempted to pass through the window where Jeff allegedly fell from.
He said Samidoh, who was slightly smaller than Jeff, fitted.
“Is it possible somebody could go through the window?” Omari asked Jeff.
“Yes if forced one can go through,” Muchoki answered.
On cross-examination by Okatchi, Muchoki said he is not aware Jeff at one time wanted to commit suicide by stabbing himself claiming his father Peter Ngugi never cared about him even though they had separated with his mother.
The magistrate heard Jeff’s parents separated when he was 5 years old.
Referring to recorded statements of three women friends of Jeff, Okatchi said the deceased harbored bitterness because his father never took care of him.
The prosecution led by state counsel Abel Omariba has lined up 28 witnesses who will attempt to demystify the death of Jeff.
The inquest was adjourned to November 1, 2023 when his mother will fly from Qatar to testify.
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