Nyali Golf Club mourns slain British golfer John Middleton

Slain British golfer John Middleton has been described by friends at Nyali Golf and County Club as a joyful and active golfer.

Middleton, 75, was found brutally murdered at his home in Utange, Mombasa.

Nyali Golf Club captain Dinesh Sasan said Middleton was an avid and competitive golfer who participated frequently in club activities.

“His name is going to go up the board, but unfortunately, he will not be around to collect the trophy,” said Sasan, recalling how Middleton had recently won a club competition in his category.

Sasan added, “Golf was his life. He used to play five to six times a week, and the club members were his family.”

Middleton, a retired military officer from Britain, had settled in Mombasa in 2015 and became a key figure in the local golfing community. His absence was first noticed on Saturday morning when he failed to show up for his scheduled 7am. tee-off, something highly unusual for the punctual player.

“It has been a rather unfortunate incident. Losing him is going to be a great loss to the club. He has been a very avid golfer, a good member, very active in the senior golfing society, and involved in the golf committee and competitions,” Sasan said.

Middleton had reportedly lost his immediate family by the time he moved to Kenya.

“To my knowledge, he was 75 years old, so he had lost his family by then. I don’t know if there were any relatives alive, so I believe he was here with friends, and his friends were the family he had,” Sasan added.

Recalling his interactions, Sasan described Middleton as a happy person who was passionate about golf. “My personal memory of him would be in his yellow and pink shirt that he would always love to flaunt; he was younger at heart,” said Sasan.

Former lady captain, Annmarie de Jong, echoed these sentiments, saying, “John was always dedicated to the club, willing to help, and a good friend to all members. We will really miss him.”

On Monday, Kisauni Deputy County Commissioner Jamleck Mbuba confirmed that Middleton’s lifeless body had been discovered on Saturday morning in his bathtub with serious injuries.

“We received information that Mr Middleton was found brutally murdered inside his house. His body was discovered by a cleaner who went there in the morning to do her usual cleaning,” said Mbuba.

Police have taken over the investigation and burial arrangements are pending until all formalities are completed.