On the same night the deceased vanished from his hotel room, he was seen crossing into a nearby hotel, Havana Bar, and was not seen again. On 21 February 2025, Campbell’s mutilated and decomposing body was discovered by the roadside, stuffed in a gunny bag among pineapples in Makongo Forest, Makueni County, approximately 140 kilometres south of Nairobi.
Alex Mutua Kithuka has since been charged with Campbell’s murder, and a ruling is awaited to determine whether he will be released on bond pending trial. The State is opposing bond, and an investigating officer has sworn an affidavit outlining the prosecution’s theory and the sequence of events from Campbell’s arrival to his death and disposal.
According to the affidavit, the deceased had been in communication with an African man identified as Edu, alias Moses Limiri David, alias Francisco Almares, via an internet dating site, even before he arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Says Sergeant Philip Kilonzo in the affidavit: “…on the same night [Campbell arrived in Nairobi], the deceased was seen crossing the road to Havana Bar where he met a male African known as Edu, whom he had met through an online dating site.”
The name of the dating site and Campbell’s sexual orientation are not indicated in the affidavit. However, police allege that Edu picked up Campbell from his hotel on 16 February 2025 and took him to an apartment on the sixth floor of a building rented by the accused in Pipeline Estate.
According to neighbours interviewed by police, three other young men, described as the accused’s “frequent guests”, were also inside the house.
What transpired inside the apartment remains either unknown or undisclosed. However, police allege that trouble began when the accused and his companions demanded payment from Campbell for unspecified services.
“…once the deceased entered the said house, the accused, together with his four friends, demanded payment for the use of the apartment and other services.
“…when the deceased refused to comply, the accused and his friends locked the door from the inside, thereby restraining the deceased from exiting the premises.”
According to the affidavit, the accused then left the house to procure two manila strings and two gunny bags. What happened afterwards is not clearly recorded, but Sergeant Kilonzo states that on February [date not specified], the accused suddenly vacated the residence without notifying the caretaker.
It remains unclear how the group exited the premises or whether they left with Campbell, alive or deceased. The affidavit further alleges that Campbell’s bank cards remained active, with substantial withdrawals made in Nairobi, Voi, and Mombasa, including from an account held at Diamond Trust Bank.
There is no information about the deceased’s movements from the moment he entered the accused’s house until 21 February 2025, when his body was discovered by authorities, following reports by a local chief, Francis Mongela Kanyaa.
The accused was arrested through “intelligence reports” on 1 March 2025, along the Nairobi-Machakos Road. The affidavit claims that his alleged accomplice, Samuel Musembi, who is said to have been the driver of the vehicle used to transport the body from Pipeline to Makongo Forest, died at Kenyatta National Hospital after being found unconscious at a friend’s house in Dandora, Nairobi.
Apparently, Campbell was killed in concert with Edu and another suspect identified as Benard Mbusu, who has not yet been arrested.
The State argues that the accused should not be released on bail due to his prior conduct, his modus operandi, and the potential danger he poses to witnesses in the Pipeline neighbourhood.
“…if the accused is released on bond before his two accomplices are apprehended, there is a likelihood of him regrouping with them in an effort to evade trial in this matter…,” states the affidavit.
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