TikTok content creator and student, Derrick Omollo/HANDOUTA 21-year-old student died after falling into an abandoned quarry in Juja, Kiambu County, while fleeing from four men who confronted him and his colleagues during a content-shooting picnic.
Derrick Omollo, a third-year student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, was with three colleagues at a quarry in a thicket on Tuesday when the incident occurred.
According to police, the four students had walked from Juja township, where they reside, and arrived at the quarry at about 4.30 pm to shoot content on their phones.
At around 6 pm, they were allegedly confronted by four men armed with knives, who ordered them to surrender their phones.
Three of the students managed to flee, but Omollo fell into an open quarry estimated at 40 metres deep as he attempted to escape.
He hit his head on a rock below and died instantly, according to police. He also suffered fractures to both legs, police said.
The men then fled into the surrounding bushes.
One of the survivors, a 19-year-old JKUAT student, lost her Samsung A16 phone to the men, while another student, aged 22, sustained a sprain to his arm while escaping.
Another student aged 21 and a 23-year-old student also managed to escape without further injury.
Police officers visited the scene after the incident was reported.
Omollo had built a growing following on TikTok, where he was known for his creativity and content that had earned him a large audience.
His death has consequently left members of the JKUAT community and fellow content creators mourning a young man whose social media journey had been gathering momentum.
The deceased’s body was retrieved from the quarry and transferred to General Kago Mortuary in Thika, where it was preserved awaiting a postmortem examination.
Police have launched efforts to trace and arrest the four men in connection with the reported incident.
