Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul on Thursday, February 11, ordered that Omar Lali appear before her after new evidence was tabled in court. The prosecution said that it had lined up 11 witnesses against Tecra Muigai's boyfriend.
“It is important that he participates in the proceedings. The summon is for him to appear in court, and will also be required at some point to testify in person,” ruled Abdul.
Tecra's brother, James Karanja said he believed Lali used 'supernatural powers' to lure his sister into a relationship.
James said Tecra confided in him, claiming that her union with Lali was not normal and that it was more spiritual.
Karanja revealed that they (Tecra's family) had tried convincing her to leave Omar days before her death, after they noted her behavioral change.
“Omar tried to keep her away from us as a family. She started being aggressive and shouting without any reason. She changed her lifestyle and became a person we did not know,” said Karanja.
The mother, Tabitha Karanja, told the court on March 9 that she had, in 2019, noticed suspicious money transfers from Tecra’s account.
She further claimed that Tecra could have been coerced by Omar to transact the money, which amounted to more than Ksh 1 million. The transactions had all taken place within 5 months.
According to the deceased's househelp, Anne Waithera, Tecra took care of all expenses in the alleged abusive and controlling relationship.
“Omar used to bring his daughter, brothers, and sisters to Naivasha where Tecra paid all their expenses including booking for the flights,” said Waithera.
A recent autopsy also revealed that Tecra was not intoxicated on the night of her death contrary to the earlier belief that she had had a few drinks when she fell down the stairs in May 2020.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was directed to facilitate the travel process of Omar who was either to show in court in person or through his lawyers.
Omar Lali was the last person believed to have been with Tecra before the alleged fall that cost her life in her house in Lamu.
