Four arrested over murder of Scottish businessman in Kenya

Four arrested over murder of Scottish businessman in Kenya

Kenyan authorities have detained four individuals in connection with the killing of a Scottish businessperson, whose body was discovered inside a sack in the Makongo Forest. The location is roughly 60 miles (96.5 km) from Nairobi, where the man had been residing at the time of his death. The incident occurred on 24 February of the previous year.

The arrests were made during a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, as part of an intelligence-based operation in Ukunda. This coastal town lies approximately 16 miles (25.8 km) south of Mombasa. The investigation was linked to a separate case involving a violent robbery in Nyali, near Mombasa, where an American national was targeted.

Background of the Victim

Campbell Scott, 58, hailed from Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. He was a senior director at the credit scoring company FICO and had traveled to Nairobi for a professional conference before vanishing. Scott was last seen at the Havana nightclub the evening prior to his disappearance. His absence was confirmed when he failed to meet colleagues at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi’s Westlands district to deliver a presentation.

Kenyan police indicated that Scott was likely taken to a property in the Pipeline district, a slum area situated about 9.3 miles (15 km) from his hotel. Prosecutors suspect he was detained there to facilitate attempts at withdrawing funds from his accounts. His body was later found in a pineapple sack, with his hands bound, in the Makongo Forest.

Investigation Details

A post-mortem examination yielded inconclusive results, yet pathologists stated the injuries were insufficient to account for his death. The initial phase of the inquiry focused on two suspects: a taxi driver and a nightclub attendant, believed to be the last people to see Scott alive. Two men were arrested in March of last year, with one appearing in court charged with murder.

Following this, officers launched a broader appeal to identify three additional suspects. In a statement, the Kenya Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) emphasized the suspects’ connection to Scott’s murder and several violent robberies. The DCI said:

“An operation was conducted by DCI officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CR&IB) Headquarters, working in tandem with their counterparts from SCCIO Nyali and SCCIO Msambweni (Ukunda). The suspects, Bernard Mbusu, Isaac Kinoti Kobia, Evans Muthengi Mutaki, and Kelvin Mwangi Njoroge, were apprehended at Ideal Apartments in Ukunda. They have also been forensically tied to another robbery with violence in Watamu, Malindi Sub-County. A search of the residence recovered stolen goods, including an HP laptop, mobile phones, foreign currencies, credit cards, cheque books from various banks, and PDQ card reader machines.”