On May 31, 2026 around 8:30pm, Nicasio Ngugi, 35, emptied his Sh30 measure of hard liquor at Ichagaki market centre in Murang’a County and announced he was heading home.
It would be the last time he was seen alive in good health.
He arrived home the following morning badly injured. By 8:30am, he was dead.
His last known movements place him at a local chang’aa den before stopping briefly at a khat retail outlet. From there, he staggered into the darkness apparently heading towards his Kiriti village home.
He arrived about 12 hours later, bloodied and weak, with visible injuries to his head and face. Some of the blood was still fresh and dripping from his wounds.
“He looked very weak and had lost his voice and we quickly arranged for transport to take him to hospital, but at Maragua Level Four Hospital, he was pronounced dead,” Njeri told the Daily Nation in an interview.
The death of the Standard Eight leaver and a third-born in a family of five, who survived through casual jobs in the village, has since drawn the attention of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Murang’a.
Investigators have classified the case as grievous assault leading to death while pursuing multiple possible motives, including robbery, a botched deal, a targeted killing, a love triangle or a random attack by a mentally unstable assailant.
So far, two male suspects have been questioned but they both deny involvement.
A postmortem conducted on June 6, 2026 revealed that the deceased suffered multiple stab wounds to the face, including above the left eye, the occipital region and the nasal ridge. The cause of death was confirmed as a massive subdural hematoma caused by head trauma.
To reconstruct his final hours, the Daily Nation visited Ichagaki market and walked the route leading to Ngugi's rural home in Kiriti village.
The bar owner who served him his last drink described him as a regular customer who never caused trouble.
Mr Nicasio Ngugi, 35, was attacked on May 31, 2026 and died 12 hours later in Murang'a County.
Photo credit: Pool
“He was a peaceful man. I even said goodbye to him that evening and told him to come back the next day,” he said.
A close acquaintance Joseph Kamau, 38, said Ngugi had recently confided in him about family-related stress.
“He had been going through some issues at home,” he said. “I told him he should consider getting a wife to stabilise his life.”
According to Mr Kamau, Ngugi agreed, jokingly adding that he was looking for a woman aged between 25 and 31, preferably with one or two children in primary school.
“That was our last conversation. Six days later, he was dead,” Mr Kamau said.
About a kilometre from Ngugi’s home, a resident Mr Jacob Mwangi, 58, claims he witnessed a disturbing incident that night.
“I was walking home around 9:15pm when I heard commotion ahead. This road is risky, so I became alert,” he said.
He says he heard a male voice demanding Sh2,000 from another person whom he could not identify.
“The words were: ‘I have been paid Sh800 to finish you. Give me Sh2,000 and I will spare you,’” Mr Mwangi recounted, adding that he hid in a maize plantation as the exchange continued.
“I then heard another voice pleading, saying he only had Sh200. The attacker insisted that he must show proof of an attempted payment, saying he had already received a Sh500 deposit,” Mr Mwangi said.
Moments later, Mr Mwangi says he heard screams before seeing a silhouette of a man running towards Gathigia village, while another figure walked back towards Ichagaki.
“I stayed in the maize plantation for about 30 minutes before going home. The next day, I learned that Mr Ngugi was dead, and I connected what I had heard the previous night,” he said.
“I am sure it was him. We may never know who hired the attacker, but what happened was evil,” he said.
Asked whether he would share his account with investigators, he was blunt: “If they come, I will tell them exactly what I have told you.”
“Whoever killed my son has broken my heart completely. The pain is unbearable, but I will trust God for justice,” she said.
Police said investigations are ongoing and that authorities are working to ensure those responsible are brought to book.
