Two step-sons are set to face murder charges after a 54-year-old man who had been battling for survival in hospital for over two months succumbed to injuries inflicted during a brutal assault.
29-year-old Brandon Githinji and 22-year-old Benard Lee Ngugi are accused of attacking Nicholas Kamau Kagecho, a resident of Umoja area in Nairobi, on the night of December 24- 25, 2025, in a disturbing incident that shocked those close to him.
The aftermath of the violent attack left Kagecho with severe injuries and was rushed to Metropolitan Hospital for emergency medical attention.
After initial treatment, doctors at Metropolitan Hospital assessed the matter as critical, referring the patient to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where he was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Investigations begin in earnest
As medical personnel fought tirelessly to stabilise him, police officers launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the assault. Their probe quickly uncovered a deeply troubling family dispute at the centre of the attack.
Investigators established that the victim had allegedly been violently assaulted by his two step-sons, Githinji and Ngugi.
Preliminary findings indicated that the assault stemmed from simmering domestic disagreements that tragically escalated into a vicious attack.
Following the swift investigations, detectives moved quickly and arrested the two suspects on December 28, 2025. They were subsequently arraigned in court under a Miscellaneous Application seeking custodial orders to allow investigators to complete their inquiries while the victim remained hospitalised and fighting for his life.
As investigations progressed and medical reports confirmed the severity of the injuries inflicted on Kagecho, the suspects were formally charged with the offence of grievous harm contrary to Section 234 of the Penal Code.
The court ordered that the two be remanded at Industrial Area Remand Prison pending further proceedings.
Meanwhile, the victim remained in critical condition at the ICU, where doctors closely monitored him for more than two months.
Despite the relentless efforts of medical teams to save his life, the injuries proved too severe. On March 6, 2026, Kagecho succumbed to the injuries.
Case takes new legal dimension
Following his death, the case has now taken a new legal dimension. Authorities have confirmed that the charges against the two suspects will be upgraded. Githinji and Ngugi will now face murder charges contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
Investigations into the matter remain ongoing as detectives finalise the necessary legal procedures to formally present the upgraded charges before the court.
Meanwhile, the suspects remain in custody at Industrial Area Remand.
