A CCTV expert has revealed inconsistencies in the timing of security cameras at an apartment complex in Roysambu, Nairobi, where the late interior designer Jeff Mwathi met his death under mysterious circumstances.
During an inquest session at the Milimani Law Courts, a Chief Inspector who specializes in CCTV analysis testified that two of the cameras installed at the building displayed different times compared to others. According to his analysis, the cameras located at the main gate and the 10th floor—where Mugithi artist Lawrence Njuguna, popularly known as DJ Fatxo, lived—were synchronized and displayed the same time. However, the ground floor and ramp cameras lagged behind by approximately six minutes.
The officer explained to the court that while there was no lapse between the main gate and 10th floor footage, the other two cameras were delayed, causing confusion in determining the precise sequence of events leading to Mwathi’s fall. The CCTV positioned near the parking area on the ground floor was the only one that captured the moment someone fell from the upper floors, recorded at 5:47:18 a.m. camera time.
When questioned by the presiding magistrate on how to determine the actual time of the incident, the expert clarified that six minutes must be added to the recorded time to synchronize it with the real-time events. This adjustment placed the fall at approximately 5:53 a.m.
The court also reviewed footage showing DJ Fatxo, Mwathi, and three women entering the building and waiting for the elevator to the 10th floor. Two men, identified as the DJ’s cousin and driver—known in court as P3 and P4—were seen joining the group later. The footage indicated that P3 and P4 exited the elevator at the ground floor at 5:36:24 a.m. camera time, corresponding to 5:46 a.m. real time.
The expert’s testimony established that Mwathi’s fall occurred roughly one hour after DJ Fatxo and the women had left the apartment. The magistrate instructed the officer to synchronize all footage times to ensure an accurate reconstruction of the night’s events.
This revelation adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing inquest, which aims to determine whether Mwathi’s death was accidental or involved foul play.
