Family of Kilifi DJ killed on Christmas eve protests slow investigation

DJ Salim Goodie Moriasi

The late DJ Salim Moriasi, alias DJ Goodie, of the County Lux Comfort Hotel in Mariakani County.

Photo credit: Courtesy

The family of Salim Moriasi, also known as DJ Goodie, who was reportedly killed by a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier last Christmas at Mariakani in Kilifi County, has protested delays in concluding investigations into the case.

DJ Goodie was killed at County Lux Comfort Hotel following a scuffle in the club over the playing of a song at around 2am.

His family has now threatened to demonstrate in Marikiani citing “laxity and lack of transparency from the police”.

According to the family, there appear to be efforts to cover up the case.

A postmortem report said the DJ succumbed to cardiorespiratory arrest and severe head injury after suffering blunt head trauma.

DJ Goodie’s mother Mishi Rashid said she learnt of her son’s death via social media. 

She said after his burial, the suspect’s family approached them to settle the matter out of court.

“I am saddened to have lost my son out of no reasonable cause because he left home to work on December 24 healthy and jovial as usual and we expected him back as it has always been,” she said.

She said they expected DJ Goodie to be home on Christmas Day from 7am, but he failed to return home.

DJ Goodie was the fifth born in a family of eight children.

Ms Rashid narrated that one of her sons checked on DJ Goodie at Mariakani Subcounty Hospital where they had been informed he had been admitted after the incident but did not find him in the wards until later when they discovered he was in the morgue.

“I tried to reach out to my son through his phone, but the same DJ who informed me that he was in hospital picked it up. He could not even tell me my son was dead but hurriedly told me he would check on him later. But it was not long before a group of Goodie’s friends came and showed us his photo posted on social media with the wording "Rest in Peace,” she said.

A distraught Mishi Rashid Kerubo, mother to the late Salim Moriasi alias DJ Goodie at her home in Marikani, Kilifi County on March 17, 2023. DJ Goodie was the fifth born in a family of eight children

Photo credit: Maureen Ongala I Nation media Group

Ms Rashid is demanding justice for her son.

“I have nothing else to demand from the government other than justice for my son. The police have been giving us false assurance that they will have the suspect charged but it has not happened,” she mourned.

The mother disclosed that the family of the KDF soldier had approached them to have the matter settled out of court.

Another family member, Richard Ruto, said the police have not been transparent about the case.

According to Mr Ruto, it was not clear the status of the case even with information that the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) had completed the investigations and handed over the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kilifi County.

“The police have kept us in the dark about the case and we suspect there are moves by some senior military officers to cover up the case against the soldier. It is almost three months, and the matter is still pending with no justice to our kin,” he said.

“The soldier asked me for forgiveness, but I told him that we could not discuss much since it was a family matter and the mother bears the crucial role as the decision maker,” he claimed.

He said the family of the officer was in Mariakani last Thursday to plead with the family for forgiveness.

“We know the relevant officers are buying time to arrest the KDF officer, to allow some talks, but we maintain that we need justice for DJ Goodie,” Mr Ruto added.

He said the family was also seeking answers to know why DJ Goodie was taken to Mariakani Sub-County Hospital at 5am, hours after the incident that happened at around 2am.

“We want to know what happened between 1am and 5am when they took him to the hospital as an unknown drunkard. Maybe if they could have taken him to the hospital on time, he could be alive,” he said.

But Kilifi County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO) Daniel Muleli said the DPP had directed the soldier be charged with murder.