Table of Contents
- A wave of grief has engulfed the family of Eric Wafula following his passing on after mob justice
- Wafula, popularly known as Jagoal, formerly played for New Mathare FC as a goalkeeper
- Police accounts state that the deceased had a record of stealing phones in Eastlands
A wave of grief has engulfed the family of Eric Wafula following his passing on after mob justice in Nairobi’s Pangani area.
Wafula, popularly known as Jagoal, formerly played as a goalkeeper for New Mathare FC. New Mathare is a Division Two club in the Football Kenya Federation Eastern Zone.
He always spoke of his desire to play for big clubs in the Kenya Premier League (KPL) and eventually play abroad. His fans saw a lot of potential in him and hoped that he could play internationally.
What Happened to Eric Wafula?
According to footage posted on social media, Eric Wafula lost his life on Saturday, together with his friend. The two allegedly snatched a phone,
Mob justice at a past scene. Photo/NTV
and the public caught up with them.
Filled with anger, the mob descended on the two with stones and clubs. Their cry for help fell on deaf ears as the irate mob kept beating them mercilessly.
Wafula and his accomplice died on the spot. Their bodies were later transported to the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly known as City Mortuary).
Pangani area is one of the places in the city with a high rate of crime, including phone theft. Mob justice isn’t uncommon in this area.
Police booked them at the Nairobi Funeral Home as “unknown adults.” They had no identification documents with them at the time of the incident.
Further, it remains unclear whether Wafula was a case of mistaken identity in the mob justice or whether he was culpable of snatching the phone.
New Mathare FC Mourns Wafula
New Mathare FC eulogised said it was saddening to learn about Wafula’s sudden death.
“We are saddened by the passing of our former goalkeeper Eric Wafula. Shine on your way Jagoal. Rest in Peace,” the club said in a statement.
The club described him as a very skilled goalkeeper who elevated his team’s profile in the FKF Division Two Eastern Zone.
A close family friend said Wafula was the pride of his mother. She loved him unconditionally and supported all his sporting endeavours with New Mathare FC and other football clubs he played for.
He said that his passing would be a big blow to his mother who loved him so much.
Her mother, who is a tailor in Mathare, taught Wafula how to sew during holidays when he schooled at King Barrack High School.
Former New Mathare FC skipper Eric Wafula. Photo/NTV
She always wanted him to be responsible and have another income-earning skill besides football.
She took a motorbike on loan for her son when he finished high school to help him live a decent life free from crime.
Brush with Crime
An account by a police officer stationed at John Taga Police Station in Eastlands said that Eric Wafula had run-ins with the public multiple times due to phone theft. He told the Nation that it was his fame as New Mathare FC goalkeeper that saved him on multiple occasions from Mob justice.
He recalled an incident where police officers in plainclothes saved Wafula’s life in Kariobangi as an irate mob readied to mete out violence on him.
He had been allegedly caught snatching a phone, a claim he denied thereafter. Those who knew him in Mathare and Huruma neighbourhoods described him as a calm and polite person.
They said that he appeared to be a grounded young man who loved football and was very social.
