Campbell Scott, aged 58, arrived in Kenya on or around 16 February 2025 to attend an IT conference and was staying at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi’s Westlands area. He reportedly met friends at a local gay bar before disappearing from his hotel without a trace. His mutilated and decomposing body was later discovered inside a sack of pineapples in a thicket in Makueni County. An initial autopsy failed to determine the cause of death, prompting a toxicology analysis, the results of which have not yet been released
The detention of a man charged with the murder of British tech expert Campbell Scott has been extended until 24 April 2025. On that date, Alex Mutua Kithuka is scheduled to enter a plea regarding the murder charges following his initial court appearance at the Makadara Law Courts on 26 March 2025. During this hearing, Kithuka appeared before Justice James Wakiaga via video link from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison but did not enter a plea, as the prosecution requested a psychiatric evaluation of the suspect prior to formal charges.
Prosecutor Sarah Ogweno also requested that the plea be deferred due to Kithuka’s lack of legal representation. Under Kenyan criminal procedure, murder suspects typically undergo a mental health assessment to determine their fitness to stand trial, though a recent High Court ruling has made this requirement optional. Nevertheless, all suspects facing capital charges must have legal representation. If they cannot afford a lawyer, the state appoints one under the principle of pauper briefs, whereby the Chief Justice assigns an advocate to defend such individuals. It is a criminal offense for an appointed advocate to refuse or neglect these cases.
During the 26 March hearing, Prosecutor Ogweno noted that the mental evaluation might face delays due to a strike by government doctors responsible for conducting the assessment. “My Lord, we are applying for the suspect to undergo a mental assessment, but there is an issue because the government doctors are on strike,” she stated.
In response, Justice Wakiaga ruled, “You will not plead today. I direct that he be taken for a mental assessment before pleading to the charges.” Consequently, Kithuka was remanded in custody, and on 4 April, the court registrar scheduled the next case mention for 24 April, when further directions—including allowing the suspect to enter a plea—are expected.
It remains unclear whether Kithuka’s mental assessment has been completed or if a defense lawyer has been appointed. He is accused of murdering Campbell Scott, who was killed on or around 24 February 2025. Police allege that additional suspects, believed to be co-conspirators in the crime, remain at large.
Campbell Scott, aged 58, arrived in Kenya on or around 16 February 2025 to attend an IT conference and was staying at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi’s Westlands area. He reportedly met friends at a local gay bar before disappearing from his hotel without a trace. His mutilated and decomposing body was later discovered inside a sack of pineapples in a thicket in Makueni County. An initial autopsy failed to determine the cause of death, prompting a toxicology analysis, the results of which have not yet been released.
Despite the inconclusive findings, police assert that Campbell Scott was murdered and have charged Kithuka. A second detainee, Albanus Mutinda, was released due to insufficient evidence and has agreed to testify as a prosecution witness at the trial. On 14 March 2025, police disclosed that Samuel Musembi, another suspect detained alongside Kithuka and two others in connection with the murder, had died at Kenyatta National Hospital from self-inflicted wounds.
