When Nevil Saisi, alias Buga, and Oscar Mugare, alias Macho, accepted a manual job in Kileleshwa, Nairobi County, they had no idea it would be their last assignment.
The two were assaulted and their bodies set ablaze by members of the public along Rhapta Road two weeks ago. According to witnesses, the violence erupted when the group attempted to demand that local business operators vacate the roadside.
They had been hired by a friend who reportedly secured casual work for groups of young men, often involving beautification projects such as flower planting.
Due to the sensitivity of the case and the fear surrounding it, the families of the deceased appointed Ms Mary Kimani as their spokesperson.
“It was not the first time they worked with him. He used to get jobs and call the group,” said Ms Kimani said in an interview with the Daily Nation .
The Daily Nation has learned that the assignment may have originated from a well-connected figure known to engage young men in local beautification work. A day before the incident, the group was reportedly treated to shopping, including new shoes and clothes.
According to Ms Kimani, on the day of the incident, the group's coordinator received a call informing him that two of his workers were being attacked and a motorbike had been burned.
“He said the motorbike was new and requested help to buy another one. That’s when financial assistance was sent,” said Ms Kimani, showing messages related to the transaction.
When the Daily Nation visited the scene, a local bodaboda rider Vincent Kerongo said the youths arrived and demanded that women running roadside shops vacate.
“The situation turned chaotic. They were confronted and attacked and two of them were overpowered and set ablaze,” he said.
A motorbike was also torched and later collected by police officers from the Parklands Police Station.
According to Ms Kimani, police from Kileleshwa Station collected the bodies but reportedly did not find the motorbike at the scene. She said the families had members nearby but they feared intervening due to the size and aggression of the crowd.
“They tried to engage and put out the fire when they heard police were coming, but it was already too late,” she said.
Six other youths who escaped have avoided speaking about the ordeal, with Ms Kimani saying they are living in fear.
“The families are deeply affected but too afraid to speak. That’s why they asked me to represent them,” she said.
The incident was reported at Kileleshwa Police Station under OB number 44 of June 18, 2025 but to date, no arrests have been made.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an inquiry with officers expected to review CCTV footage from the area.
A detective familiar with the case said that businesses near the crime scene have been uncooperative.
“Investigations are ongoing but we’re facing challenges because people running businesses there don’t want to talk,” said the officer.
Kilimani Sub-County Police Commander Patricia Yegon confirmed that the case is under active investigation.
“The officers want to know who sent them and where they came from,” she said.
