Police in Nairobi are holding nine people, among them six foreign nationals, after a 34-year-old Kenyan man died in a suspected fall from the eighth floor of an apartment building in Kileleshwa.

The man, identified as Raphael Muchomba Gitonga, was found unresponsive on the ground at Kaptai Court on the night of 18 to 19 October 2026, Nairobi News and Kahawatungu reported, citing police.

Preliminary findings suggest he fell through a window on the eighth floor of the neighbouring Platinum Oak Apartments and landed on a hard surface, suffering multiple injuries. Bloodstains were seen at the scene. The incident was reported to police by managers at the apartment block, according to the two outlets.

Who is being held

Nine people were taken into custody as persons of interest. The Nation reported that six of them are foreigners, among them two Dutch nationals, two Congolese, a Ugandan and an American, while the other three are Kenyans.

Police have not said what role, if any, any of those held played in the death. Both Nairobi News and Kahawatungu stressed that the arrests do not on their own establish criminal responsibility, and none of the nine has been charged.

A gathering at the apartment

Police established that Mr Gitonga had been with other people at the apartment, where they were reportedly taking part in a programme known as the Journey Series/Meta Show, according to the reports. No further details about the programme, its organisers or what it involved have been made public.

The Nation reported that detectives are pursuing several lines of inquiry, including the possibility that Mr Gitonga took his own life, but that the events leading up to the fall remain unclear.

According to Nairobi News, investigators have yet to establish exactly how the fall happened or what caused the death.

Post-mortem pending

Crime Scene Investigation officers from the Nairobi Region processed, photographed and documented the scene before the body was moved to Chiromo Funeral Parlour pending a post-mortem examination.

The autopsy is expected to help detectives determine whether Mr Gitonga’s injuries are consistent only with a fall, or whether there are signs of an earlier struggle or other injuries. Its findings will also guide whether the persons of interest are released, held for longer through a court application, or charged.

Under Kenyan law, police must present suspects in court within 24 hours of arrest or seek a court order to hold them longer while investigations continue.

Upmarket neighbourhood

Kileleshwa, west of the city centre, is a leafy residential area where older bungalows have increasingly given way to high-rise apartment towers in the past decade. Many of the blocks are home to expatriates and young professionals.

Mr Gitonga’s family had not publicly commented on his death by the time of publication.

Photos: Kileleshwa apartments, LittleT889/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0); handcuffs, Nairobi News.