When Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja appeared in court early this week for her late daughter Tecra Muigai’s inquest, Kenyans quickly noticed her sudden weight loss.
They went on to talk about it on social media, many sympathizing with her saying that it could be due to Tecra’s death which is never easy for a mother.
Her celebrity daughter Anerlisa Muigai came in to her mother’s defence explaining that her weight loss is not stress-related.
“Leave my mother alone! Her weight loss is fine and it’s something we decided as a family that we all wanted to shed off excess weight. #HealthyLiving,” Anerlisa posted on her Instagram page.
The year 2020 was hard for the Keroche CEO as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) came hard on her due to alleged tax evasion of Ksh500 million.
The case ended up in court as Tabitha decried KRA’s 30-day ultimatum to pay up the taxes, at a time when she was reeling in the aftereffects of Covid-19 pandemic.
She decried financial constraints compounded by the fact that she was paying Ksh57 million monthly for a KSh20 billion loan advanced by Absa Kenya Plc to set up a state-of-the-art plant in Naivasha where her brewery is situated.
In the ongoing inquest, Omar Lali, the boyfriend to the late Tecra has come under sharp focus with the last two testaments by Tabitha and a bodyguard, Eric Cheruiyot painted a picture of a man who milked Tecra dry.
In her testament to court, Tabitha said that bank statements show that in one year, Tecra had transferred Ksh1.2 million to Lali who was 51 years old.
She held that Lali was only out to “use” Tecra for what she had.
On Wednesday, Cheruiyot a former KDF officer who provided Tecra with security told the court that Lali was jealous and had “killer” attributes.
Cheruiyot told the court of two instances when the Lamu-based lover man threatened him.
“I can do something bad to you [so that] even your kids will miss you,” Cheruiyot told the court adding this was in Dar es Salaam.
Tecra died on May 2, 2020 in Lamu where she had been living with Lali. Her death was reportedly said to be as a result of a fall from the stairs, a theory her family disputes.
