Mystery as detective probing Mwau car incident dies

The scene at the Central Police Station, Nairobi where a detective who was investigating the gun attack on Kilome MP Harun Mwau's car collapsed died June 25, 2011. WILLIAM OERI

A detective who was probing the gun attack on Kilome MP Harun Mwau's vehicle collapsed and died Saturday.

Corporal Gerald Waskie, who was attached to the Scenes of Crime at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), started bleeding from the nose and mouth before collapsing, police said.

He was rushed to the Nairobi Outpatient Clinic but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The officer was examining Mr Mwau's Range Rover at the time of the mysterious incident at the Central Police Station.

He was together with his two colleagues and had been assigned the duty of carrying out further forensic and ballistic examination on Mr Mwau’s car that was sprayed with bullets on Thursday night.

Corporal Wasike was one of the officers conducting forensic ballistic examination on Mr Mwau’s Range Rover to establish the effects of the bullets on the car and how they could have been fired. By analyzing the interaction of a projectile with its target, detectives are in a position to establish the type and calibre of firearm used.

The driver’s door had three bullet holes while the rear right door had one bullet hole. One bullet exited through the co-driver’s door, and the driver’s window was completely shattered by the bullets.  

The detectives were also dusting various vehicles parts to lift fingerprint impressions left on the car to find out if any other person could have driven the car.

Nairobi area deputy police boss Moses Ombati said that they were investigating the sudden death.

"We still don't know what could have caused his death, if he were sick, he could have reported to us," said Ombati.

During the Thursday incident, Mr Mwau had been dropped off at the Intercontinental Hotel by his driver and bodyguard but as they were driving back to pick him up, unknown men overtook near the Garden Square and fired at their car.

Only one bullet head of 9mm, commonly used by Ceska pistols, was recovered inside the vehicle. Mr Mwau’s bodyguard was armed with the same type of firearm.

Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere had ordered thorough investigations into the incident in which at least six bullets were fired but no one was hurt. Mr Iteere had termed the shooting incident a mystery that they would unravel soon.

Mr Iteere said that he had instructed that Mr Mwau’s security detail be enhanced before the incident following his request last week when he claimed that his life was in danger.

A fortnight ago, the Kilome legislator who was named by US President Barrack Obama as a significant drug trafficker, He alleged that June 3, he had been seeing some weird characters near his office and house.

This was after President Obama listed him as a drug kingpin the previous week under the US Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.