Kenyan Randy Mugo stabbed to death at party in London

A Kenyan family in the United Kingdom is mourning their son, who was stabbed to death in East London on Saturday.

Randy Mugo, 27, was knifed at a friend’s house party after what started as a row over a spilt drink.

The scuffle degenerated into a quadruple stabbing, which left him dead and three others injured in a daytime attack.

CRIME SCENE

Police were called just before 9am to reports of a stabbing in a luxury flat on the 14th floor of Blakeney Tower on Buckle Street, Whitechapel, where a girl was celebrating her 25th birthday.

They arrived shortly after to find four casualties, three of whom were treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital.

The paramedics from Royal London Hospital tried for an hour to save Randy's life.

They pronounced him dead at the scene at 9.40am, whereas the coroner said a stabbing in the heart resulted in his death.

PEACEMAKER

Witnesses at the party described Randy as an unfortunate victim, saying he tried to be the peacemaker between two fighting groups, although unaffiliated with both.

They said his only involvement was in attempting to stop the groups from fighting.

One of the 20 guests told Evening Standard, a newspaper, that “Everybody was happy drinking and chatting when an argument started over a spilt drink. Punches were thrown and there was lots of fighting. People, especially the girl whose party it was, tried to break it up but couldn’t. I saw one guy with a kitchen knife.

“Guests had drunk a lot, mainly spirits. The party started at about 2am. It was a friendly party until the fight over something so silly. The poor guy who died... was a peacemaker as two groups fought each other.”

ARRESTS

Following the incident, detectives from London's metropolitan Specialist Crime Command set up a crime scene.

Seven men in their twenties, including a 26-year-old who was taken to hospital with stab wounds from the incident, were arrested.

Two men were arrested initially on suspicion of assault and causing grievous bodily harm while four were apprehended later after more serious allegations were made.

Scotland Yard later confirmed that seven men, all in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and that they were bailed out until early December.

Detective Inspector Will White urged those who attended the party to share information on what transpired.

"We want to hear from anyone who was at the party even if they think they have nothing to offer. They may have information that confirms what we have been told or something that is vital to the investigation," he said in a statement.

EULOGISED

Randy was taken from Kenya to the UK by his mother Rahab Mugo when he was two years old.

He was a Liverpool Football Club fan who loved to dance. He supported his family and also devoted his time to counselling youths.

At the time of his death, he was working as a factory supervisor at Britvic, a British soft drinks giant.

Speaking to the Nation in London, Randy's uncle Paul Maina said, “The family is yet to come in terms with loss. We are all shocked. The whole family wishes to wake up and find this was just a bad dream. We are totally devastated. There are no words we can pen down to express how we feel."

“Randy was the kindest of souls. This is a double tragedy as he supported the family after the death of his father. Senseless violence has robbed us of an angel.”

Randy’s close friend, Suleiman, described him as "angel cut from a different cloth".

"He was always smiling and concerned about other peoples wellbeing. He hoped to travel the world. Now all that has been cut short," he said.

KNIFE CRIMES

Mrs Mugo called for an end to knife attacks that have claimed the lives of several young people in London.

“I always see it in the news ... that someone has been stabbed. I never imagined that one day my family would be the victims," she said.

“Now I am drowning in tears. The loss of my son has shattered my soul. The thought of living without him is killing me. The pain I am going through is beyond endurance. For now I can only pray that no other parent will suffer as a result of this epidemic. These crimes must end immediately."

The murder on Saturday morning was the first in a series of deaths at the weekend which took the number of London homicides this year to at least 126.

The number of knife killings in the capital is nearing its highest level in more than a decade, with 130 already recorded this year, compared to 132 in 2018.

Kenyans in London are meeting at the Rival House Church in East London to console Randy's family and help plan the burial that will take place in the UK.