A 17-year-old boy, Michael Mwangi, died after being thrown over the balcony rail of a house in Juja, Kiambu County, during a chaotic party held at a short-stay rental apartment. The suspect, identified as Constable Makabila Mathayo Matonya of the Kenya Prisons Service, is attached to the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru's sports section. He has been detained for 15 days following the tragic incident.
According to police records, the incident unfolded in the early hours at the Astrol Apartments, where security guards manning the complex were initially alerted to a violent commotion in Room B906 on the ninth floor. Upon checking the room, guards discovered three men locked in a heated altercation and advised them to keep the peace. Shortly after, one of the occupants, Mike Oloo Odero, rushed down to report that their friend, Michael Mwangi, had been thrown over the balcony rail.
The victim's body was discovered lying in a supine position with severe fractures to his limbs and visible trauma to his face. Security personnel intercepted Matonya as he attempted to flee the scene, and he was subsequently locked inside the room using an external padlock. However, the suspect managed to smash through the locking mechanism just as police arrived to handcuff him. A blood-stained knife was among the key exhibits recovered from the room.
CCTV footage retrieved from the premises shows a timeline of the victim's final hours, revealing deep tension among the group. At one point during the night, the young victim was seen fleeing into the parking lot wearing only his undergarments, attempting to hide behind parked vehicles. He was pursued by Odero and an unidentified woman, who eventually convinced the hesitant teenager to return to the room.
The police are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including a crime of passion or a financial dispute, to determine the motive behind the fatal fall. Matonya had reportedly rented the apartment just two days prior, immediately after flying back into Kenya from his sporting assignment in Central Asia, and had invited friends over for a continuous homecoming celebration.
According to Juja Sub-County Police Commander Isaac Kombo, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has taken over the case and secured a 15-day custodial order at the Kibii Police Station to complete their homicide investigations before formal charges are preferred. The police chief added that detectives have already established the phone contacts of the two women who fled the scene and are relying on mobile technology to track them down.
The victim's body was transferred to the General Kago Funeral Home in Thika pending an autopsy. The police are continuing their investigation, with Matonya and Odero remaining in custody assisting with the ongoing homicide investigation. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and security of short-stay rental apartments and the need for increased vigilance in such establishments.
Key points
- The suspect, Constable Makabila Mathayo Matonya, is a Kenyan corrections officer who recently represented the country at an international wrestling tournament in Kazakhstan.
