UK businessman found dead in Nairobi, Kenya

Incident Details

A British businessman was found dead in Kenya after disappearing on 16 February during business travel to Nairobi. His body was discovered in a sack in a thicket in Wote, Makeuni County, approximately 65 miles southeast of Nairobi. Police have arrested a taxi driver and a waiter on suspicion of abduction and murder. The businessman was a senior director at the data analytics company FICO.

Fig1. Location of JW Marriott and where the body was found

Comment. Although Kenya has a reported homicide rate of approximately 5.27 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is lower than many of the world’s most dangerous countries, the reliability of crime data in Kenya is questionable. Many crimes, including homicides, abductions, and disappearances, often go unreported or are inaccurately recorded, meaning the actual figures could be significantly higher. This lack of reliable data suggests that the security risks in Kenya, particularly in cities like Nairobi, may be more considerable than official statistics indicate, posing a greater danger for both residents and visitors. This type of tragic incident affecting business travellers is unfortunately, not rare. In June 2024, two Chinese executives from a medical device company were abducted during business travel to the Philippines. Upon arrival, they were seized by an unknown group that issued ransom demands to their families. Tragically, their bodies were discovered four days later, underscoring the risks business travellers may face in certain regions, highlighting the importance of travel risk assessments and heightened situational awareness for those visiting high-risk and unfamiliar locations.

Assessment. Local reports suggest that the businessman visited a bar in Westlands the day before his disappearance and that he returned to the venue on the day he disappeared to meet a friend, before taking a taxi to Pipeline, one of the city’s biggest slums, shortly after 7pm. Police investigations revealed that he was held at a house (in the Pipeline area) possibly while his abductors attempted to siphon money from his bank accounts. This incident underscores the vulnerability of foreign nationals to targeted crimes, often driven by financial motives. The involvement of an unverified taxi service raises concerns about the safety of informal transport, which increases exposure to various violent crimes. Additionally, the deceased last known location – a nightclub – highlights the risk associated with visiting unfamiliar environments and patterns of life, where travellers may be more vulnerable to threats such as extortion, and robbery. These risks are heightened in settings where foreign visitors stand out, making them potential targets for opportunistic crime. This tragic incident underscores the need for businesses to conduct thorough travel risk assessments, providing employees security awareness, ensuring that duty of care for staff travelling to unfamiliar or high-risk locations. Neptune P2P Group offers a customised travel risk management platform to provide real-time travel alerts, emergency assistance, and GPS tracking that assists with employee safety. Speak to our experts today to discuss your travel risk management plans Contact us at – Neptune P2P Group.