The family of 17-year-old Michael Mwangi is demanding justice after he died in a fall from the ninth floor of an Airbnb apartment in Gwaka-iru, near Ruiru River in Kiambu County.
Mwangi reportedly fell from the apartment on Saturday, November 7, following an altercation involving people who were with him at the premises. Police have arrested two men who were reportedly present at the apartment as investigations seek to establish what happened before the teenager plunged to his death.
According to emerging reports, Mwangi had been sharing the apartment with two men and a girl when an argument reportedly broke out. However, the nature of the disagreement and what triggered the confrontation have not been established.
His body was later discovered with serious injuries, including a broken leg and hand. Reports also indicated that he had a bloodstained pair of shorts.
The family, led by Mary Watiri, is appealing to police to expedite investigations and ensure that those responsible for the teenager's death are brought to justice.
Their grief has been compounded by the death of Mwangi's mother, who reportedly died four days before her son. The family is now mourning two close relatives within the same week as they seek answers over the circumstances surrounding the teenager's death.
According to the family's account, Mwangi had left home on Wednesday night the previous week to visit a male friend who was also mourning the death of his mother.
However, how the two ended up at the Airbnb apartment in Gwaka-iru remains unclear. Investigators will need to establish who arranged the accommodation, how the teenager came to be in the company of the other occupants and what transpired before the fatal fall.
The presence of two men and a girl at the apartment has also emerged as a key detail in the developing investigation, with detectives expected to establish their relationship with Mwangi and whether they witnessed the events leading to his death.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, while a female suspect is reportedly being sought. Their arrest does not establish guilt, and the circumstances of the teenager's death have yet to be conclusively determined.
For the family, the priority remains establishing what happened to the 17-year-old and securing justice as they come to terms with the loss of both Mwangi and his mother within days of each other.
