NAIROBI, KENYA – A routine smartphone delivery turned into a fatal encounter on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, when Antony Otieno Olwal, a 30-year-old father of three, was murdered in a South B apartment. The incident, which police are treating as a premeditated robbery and homicide, has sent shockwaves through Nairobi's boda boda and online commerce communities, highlighting the significant dangers faced by delivery agents in the city.

Mr. Olwal was dispatched from a shop in Nairobi's Central Business District at approximately 10:30 AM EAT to deliver an iPhone 17 Pro Max to a client at Meridian Apartments in the Sana Sana area of South B. The order was placed via WhatsApp by an individual claiming to be in Eldoret, who instructed that the high-value phone, reportedly worth over KSh 200,000, be given to his brother, identified as 'Hillary', at the apartment.

According to police reports and family members, Mr. Olwal became unreachable by midday. His body was later discovered by the apartment's host, Charity Muthoni Michoki, hidden under a bed in the fourth-floor unit. His hands and feet were bound, and a scarf had been stuffed in his mouth. An autopsy conducted at the City Mortuary on Wednesday, November 19, confirmed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

A Premeditated Ambush

Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) believe the murder was a carefully planned setup. The apartment had been rented just hours before the incident by two unidentified men who paid a KSh 2,500 cash deposit. When the host later attempted to inspect the room, one of the suspects reportedly tried to prevent her from entering before fleeing the scene.

Detectives recovered a knife, a metal rod believed to be the murder weapon, and surprisingly, the iPhone 17 Pro Max that Mr. Olwal was tasked to deliver, all within the apartment. His motorcycle, a KMFH 161S, was found parked outside the building. The recovery of the phone has raised questions about the primary motive, though robbery is still the leading theory. Police have forwarded two phone numbers associated with the suspects to Safaricom for tracing as the manhunt continues.

A Community in Fear

The killing of Mr. Olwal has ignited outrage and fear among Nairobi's delivery riders, who often operate on a 'pay-on-delivery' basis, making them vulnerable targets for violent crime. Colleagues and industry stakeholders are now demanding enhanced security protocols from online vendors and stricter verification processes for clients, particularly for high-value goods. Fredrick Muga, a colleague of the deceased, told TUKO.co.ke that attacks targeting phone delivery agents are increasingly common.

This tragic event draws parallels to other recent crimes in Nairobi where short-stay rental apartments have been used to perpetrate serious offenses, raising concerns about the security and vetting procedures employed by hosts and platform operators. The family of Mr. Olwal, represented by his brother Isaiah Ochieng, has called for a swift and thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice and has questioned the apartment management's failure to collect identification details from the renters.

As the DCI continues its investigation, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the precarious nature of gig economy work in Kenya. It underscores an urgent need for systemic changes to protect the growing number of Kenyans who rely on the digital marketplace for their livelihood, ensuring that the convenience of online commerce does not come at the cost of human life.