Jeff Mwathi was not murdered
A court in Nairobi has reviewed CCTV footage as part of the ongoing trial concerning the tragic death of interior designer Jeff Mwathi. The footage captures the moment he fell from the 10th floor of an apartment building located in the Kasarani area of Nairobi.
Jeff Mwathi lost his life on February 22, 2023, at the Redwood apartment in Roysambu.
During the hearing on Thursday, Chief Inspector Timothy Bet from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) took the stand for cross-examination while several clips were shown by the prosecution, illustrating the events leading up to and following Mwathi’s death.
The footage, which was played in slow motion, revealed Mwathi’s body falling at 5:47 AM, according to the CCTV time stamp.
However, in his testimony, the officer mentioned that the body actually hit the ground at 5:53 AM.
The officer described the individual seen falling as having their arms and legs extended during the descent, characterizing it as a “split-second fall.”
The court was presented with video clips showing individuals moving in and out of the apartment just before and after the fall occurred.
One person, wearing bluish attire and a white hood, seemed to be the first to spot the fallen body.
The court learned that this individual is set to testify about what he witnessed on the morning of February 22, 2023.
Lawyer Danstan Omari, who is representing Mwathi’s family, raised questions about whether the person thought to be a security guard alerted anyone after noticing the fall.
He also highlighted that several other people were seen walking by the scene, inquiring if investigators had looked into their actions or reactions.
Omari pressed the officer for clarification on whether one of the men seen at the scene—dressed in what looked like a white T-shirt, blue shorts, a white cap, and a chain—had noticed the body and how he responded.
The officer confirmed that the man, referred to as Person of Interest Number Two in the case, seemed to have witnessed the body. When asked if he noticed any emotional reaction, he replied that the individual appeared to show no signs of emotion at that moment.
“From what I can see, it looks like there was no reaction,” Chief Inspector Bet told the court.
Omari then pointed out that the man in question was DJ Fatxo, arguing that his behavior didn’t match what you’d expect from someone in a natural emotional state at that moment.
“Does his behavior show any genuine reaction or emotion that you’d expect from someone who just lost a friend?” Omari asked, drawing parallels to the emotional responses we often see in public during similar situations.
He referenced the recent arrival of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the airport, where emotions were clearly on display, to highlight how a typical human reaction would look in times of grief or shock.
Earlier footage shown in court revealed groups of people coming in and out of the building throughout the night, including the person of interest who was seen with several women.
The defense, led by lawyer Duncan Okatch representing DJ Fatxo, insisted that his client had left the building earlier that morning and hadn’t returned, a claim that the DCI officer confirmed was in line with what the footage showed.
“From the camera, yes, he did not come back,” the officer stated when Okatch pressed him on the matter.
Omari wrapped up the visual evidence, emphasizing that the timeline of movements would be crucial in figuring out what happened in the hours leading up to Mwathi’s fall and whether anyone else played a role in his death.
The hearing will continue on January 29, 2026.
Jeff Mwathi was not murdered
