The Last Witness: The Mysterious Death of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei That Still Haunts Kenya

Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei was a security officer assigned to guard the Deputy President’s office at Harambee House Annex. He was neither a politician nor a minister, but in February 2020, his name became central to a KSh 39 billion fake military tender scandal.

The case began when former Sports CS Rashid Echesa was linked to allegations that foreign investors had been promised access to a lucrative military procurement deal. As the officer responsible for screening and clearing visitors to the Deputy President’s office, Kenei was considered a key witness who could help investigators establish who entered the office and when.

On February 18, 2020, Kenei was summoned by investigators to record a statement regarding visitors to the Deputy President’s office during the period under investigation.

He was expected to provide crucial details about who met whom and how the alleged scheme unfolded. However, before he could appear before investigators, tragedy struck.

The following day, February 19, 2020, Kenei was found dead at his residence in Nairobi. His death instantly transformed a fraud investigation into a national mystery.

Kenei’s death changed the course of the case. What had begun as an inquiry into a fake tender scheme soon expanded to include questions surrounding the sudden death of a key witness.

Years later, his death remains one of Kenya’s most widely discussed unresolved cases. Many continue to question whether the officer possessed information that powerful individuals wanted concealed.

The mystery of “The Last Witness” continues to fuel public debate about accountability and the safety of witnesses in high-profile cases.