Businessman Lured and Murdered Over Fake County Job Scam in Mombasa

A Mombasa court has heard how Nairobi businessman Isaac Kasim Jirow, known as Sokoro, was lured to the coast with the promise of a county government job before being killed in what investigators describe as a planned and coordinated murder.

Jirow is said to have paid Sh650,000 to Kilifi County driver Eddlied Mandi Jilani in exchange for help securing a senior position as Chief Officer for Devolution, Public Service and Disaster Management. Bank records produced in court showed several transfers to Ms Mandi’s accounts and mobile money numbers from September 2017.

According to Chief Inspector Nicholus Ole Sena, the lead investigator, Jirow travelled to Mombasa on 7 March 2018 after learning that another person had been appointed to the post he believed was his. “He was either going to claim the job or get his money back,” Mr Ole Sena told Justice Wendy Micheni.

During the journey, Jirow stayed in frequent contact with Ms Mandi, who assured him that the appointment was still being arranged. Upon arriving in Mombasa, he sent her a message saying, “I have arrived safely.” The following morning, he sent what would become his final message: “When will you be sending the car?”

By the time Jirow sent that message, police say, an elaborate plan to kill him was already underway. Ms Mandi is alleged to have recruited Makonde Ruwa Buni and Ngira Karisa Charo to carry out the attack.

Investigations showed that a mobile number registered under a false name in Nyeri was used to contact Jirow and lure him to Nyali, where Buni and Charo collected him. From that point, Ms Mandi stopped using her own phone and communicated through Charo’s device.

The group travelled to Malindi, where Ms Mandi told Jirow they were meeting a county assembly member who could speak to then-Governor Amason Kingi about finalising his appointment. On the way, they turned off the main highway into a rural area.

When the vehicle stopped, Ms Mandi stepped out, claiming she needed to relieve herself. According to investigators, this was the signal for the others to attack. Jirow was strangled in the back seat by Charo and his brother, who remains at large. His body was later doused with acid and left in a thicket.

After the killing, the suspects reportedly parked near a hotel, ate dinner, and later disposed of the body under cover of darkness. Days later, herders discovered the remains, prompting detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi to launch a homicide probe.

When Ms Mandi was questioned, police found three mobile phones hidden in her car boot. Forensic analysis of the devices uncovered extensive conversations with Jirow, revealing his growing frustration over delays and false promises. 

In one message, he wrote, “There is no way Adan is celebrating on Facebook without information,” referring to the person who had been appointed to the post.

Detectives also recovered forged Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) bearing the Kilifi County Government’s name, which they said were part of a wider scheme used to defraud job seekers. A post-mortem confirmed that Jirow had been strangled and that acid had been used to destroy evidence.

The case has exposed the operations of alleged job-for-bribe cartels within county administrations, where applicants are persuaded to pay large sums for government jobs that do not exist. Jirow, who had run a small business in Nairobi, was among those deceived. 

Ms Mandi, Buni, and Charo are charged with murder at the High Court in Mombasa. The prosecution, led by State Counsel Ngiri Wangui, closed its case after the testimony of Chief Inspector Ole Sena, the final prosecution witness. The court will now determine whether the accused has a case to answer.