By Kelly Were
Eric Njoroge Matheri, a former cook at Hennessis Hotel, has been charged with threatening to kill senior hotel management staff in an escalating employment dispute over unpaid wages. The 29-year-old appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Milimani on Monday, May 26, facing serious accusations under Section 223(1) of the Penal Code.
The court heard that Matheri, who had worked at the hotel since 2023, allegedly went AWOL in early May 2025 following a disagreement over salary arrears. He is said to have sent threatening messages via WhatsApp and hand-delivered letters to multiple hotel officials, including directors, the HR department, and the chief chef.
One of the handwritten threats, composed in Swahili, demanded the payment of Ksh. 700,000 within three days. The chilling message warned:
“TUNAHITAJI KICHWA YAKO… IKIPITA HATUTAKI PESA, NGOJENI RISASI – ANY TIME, ANY WHERE.”
(Translation: “We want your head… If time lapses, we don’t want money. Expect bullets – any time, anywhere.”)
Another note addressed to the hotel staff ominously declared:
“TAYARISHA MAZISHI… TUNAMARIZA KILA MMOJA WENU.”
(“Prepare for funerals… we will finish every one of you.”)
Matheri was arrested on May 24, 2025, along Gigiri Road/UN Avenue, and booked at Gigiri Police Station .
The prosecution, represented by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), requested custodial orders to hold the accused as investigations continue. Investigators cited concerns over the accused’s potential to collaborate with accomplices and his lack of a fixed residence.
The investigation, led by Inspector Mowlid Roble (DCI Gigiri), includes:
- Forensic examination of mobile phone data at the DCI HQ’s Cybercrime Unit
- Handwriting and document analysis of the threatening letters
- Witness interviews with at least nine senior hotel staff
- Forensic review of communication from hotel directors’ phones
Matheri’s employment history is under verification, and no official statement has yet been issued by Hennessis Hotel.
The court is expected to issue a ruling on the custodial application pending the conclusion of investigations. Further arrests may be imminent as police expand the inquiry.
