Wanjiru’s sudden death leaves many questions

Olympic marathon champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru’s death on Monday marked the end of a dramatic life and meteoric achievement.

But the death left many questions begging answers.

The most asked questions by thousands of people who thronged the Nyahururu district hospital mortuary was:

Did the 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon champion commit suicide or was it an accidental fall?

In the past, the world acclaimed athlete had sent text messages to close friends saying he would kill himself but never disclosed why he made the threats.

The runner had been facing difficulties caused by strained relationships in the extended family, which subsequently saw a gun-related case preferred against him.

Outside family circles, Wanjiru had many friends as well as people who disliked him for his lifestyle. A huge crowd turned up at the mortuary to mourn the international marathon icon.

Police believe the fall that resulted in the athlete’s death was not intentional. This tallies with his wife’s version of what occurred, as released by lawyer Ndegwa Wahome.

Nyandarua police boss Jaspher Ombati said it appeared the athlete was trying to reach out to his wife, Ms Triza Njeri, who had locked him and a woman companion inside his matrimonial bedroom located on the upper floor of their Muthaiga Estate home in Nyahururu Town.

Mr Ombati said that Wanjiru, who was a police corporal, got home at about 11.30pm accompanied by a woman.

At about midnight, Njeri, who was in the neighbourhood, also arrived and used spare keys to enter the multi-million shilling mansion.

There was an exchange of words between the couple and Njeri stormed out of the bedroom, locking the metallic grille on the staircase that leads up to the upper floor.

“Wanjiru could not go out through the stairway. He opted to jump from the upper floor’s balcony but hit the concrete floor,” said the police chief.

According to Mr Wahome, Njeri had left in a huff, prompting Wanjiru to attempt to coerce her to return. The fatal plunge was not suicide, the lawyer said.

Mr Ombati said the runner sustained serious injuries and started bleeding from the mouth as frantic efforts were made to take him to hospital.

Area deputy police boss Jacob Kanake and the regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) boss Isaac Onyango said doctors at the Nyahururu district hospital tried to resuscitate Wanjiru in vain.

A police officer who arrived at the scene moments after the runner fell said the runner appeared to have been seriously injured, going by the amount of bleeding.

Ms Njeri and the other woman who had been in the house were taken to the Nyahururu police station but Mr Ombati said they were “only assisting the police to establish exactly what transpired” on Sunday night.

Kamau arrived in Nyahururu from Eldoret where he trains at 7pm on Sunday accompanied by a friend and training mate, Mr Daniel Gatheru.

They visited one of the hotels where they met a Barclays Bank employee with whom Wanjiru had an appointment.

“After that, we went to another hotel for supper and after that we parted ways. He later confirmed to me that he had arrived home.

“Later I was called by the watchman, who said that Kamau had fallen and was seriously injured,” said a teary Gatheru.

The athlete said they had been given a day’s break by their Italian coach, Claudio Berardelli, who had also allowed them to use a top-of-the-range vehicle belonging to Wanjiru’s manager, Mr Federico Rosa.

On Monday, the vehicle was still parked outside the athlete’s house. After receiving news of the death, the coach arrived in Nyahururu accompanied by Wanjiru’s training mates, among them middle distance runners Janeth Jepkosgei aka Eldoret Express and Gregory Konchella aka Yusuf Said Kamel and marathon runners Matthew Kisorio and Duncan Kibet.

Jepkosgei and Konchella said Wanjiru was in high spirits as usual when they parted ways in Eldoret at about 9am on Sunday.

Nyahururu deputy mayor Irene Wacuka, who was among the people who talked to Wanjiru recently, cried uncontrollably on hearing of his death. She said the runner telephoned her on Friday but did not say what he told her.

Lucy Kabuu who won gold (10,000m) and bronze (5,000m) for Kenya at the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne, Australia, recalled Wanjiru as a humble and outgoing person.

Mr Ndegwa said they were optimistic that the gun-related case due for mentioning next week would be withdrawn.