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Privilege to infamy: Notorious carjacker with ties to Kenyan political dynasty

By Nyaboga Kiage September 28th, 2023 2 min read

On the night of August 15, 2014, a terrifying ordeal unfolded in the South C suburb, sending shockwaves through the community.

Four men, led by Thomas Warui Njoka, 22, alias Tomaso Gagula, embarked on a mission to terrorise the residents of South C. Little did they know that this night would lead to tragic consequences.

Their initial target, a resident waiting for a friend to open the gate, had his evening take a sinister turn.

The perpetrators, armed with a firearm, forced themselves into the resident’s vehicle and sped away towards Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The victim, trapped between two assailants, endured threats but was miraculously unharmed. At some point, the vehicle came to a halt, and he was allowed to escape.

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He quickly returned to South C and, along with his friend, reported the harrowing incident to the Lang’ata Police Station.

What made this incident even more astonishing was the revelation that one of the perpetrators was none other than Thomas Warui Njoka. A rich kid.

Thomas is the grandson of a former Western MP. His uncle is also a former Attorney General, making this a case that sent shockwaves through influential families in Kenya.

A retired detective with knowledge of the situation disclosed to Nairobi News that the family had been informed about Thomas’s criminal activities on multiple occasions. They had attempted to persuade him to change his ways or even leave the city, all to no avail.

“If there is a person who we really tried to save, but never listened to what he was being told, then it is none other than [Thomas] Warui,” said the former officer who had served in the city.

Tragically, Tomaso Gagula’s involvement in the carjacking incident and another incident where a matatu was hijacked led to his untimely demise.

Two days after the carjacking incident, plainclothes police officers on patrol received an unexpected lead.

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They spotted the missing vehicle – that was used in the carjacking – parked in Buruburu shopping center at 11:30 pm.

Three individuals were inside the car this time, and the officers wisely chose to keep a close watch rather than confronting them immediately.

An hour later, the three men left the vehicle and entered an ATM booth, but they remained alert, constantly surveying their surroundings.

Two men managed to flee upon spotting potential danger, but the third, dressed in a red T-shirt and blue trousers, was not as fortunate.

He was shot dead as he attempted to escape. this was 11 days before his 23rd birthday.

It didn’t take long for the police to confirm the identity of the deceased suspect as Thomas Warui Njoka, alias Tomaso Gagula.

The following day, condolences began pouring in on Facebook under the name “Tomaso Gagula.”

Those who knew him revealed that he worked as a matatu tout, though the police neither confirmed nor denied this claim.

In part 2 of this series, Nairobi News will delve more into Thomas Warui Njoka’s life.

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