Kiambu driver who accused county boss of assault injured in night attack

A Kiambu County government driver who reported a week ago that his life was in danger after he accused a county director of assaulting and threatening to kill him was seriously injured after a brutal attack on Friday night.

Geoffrey Muhia is being treated at Kenyatta National Hospital for deep cuts in his head.

Mr Muhia, who believes the attack is linked to the assault case, said four men accosted him at Witeithie estate in Thika while he was on his way home and slashed him seven times with a Somali sword.

“I was walking home at around 10pm when four men ambushed me. One cut me with the sword while the other three searched me,” Mr Muhia said.

THREATS TO KILL HIM

The driver has accused Joseph Kang’ethe, the county enforcement director, of beating him up and threatening to kill him for refusing to help his wife with her chores.

When the wife, a county government communication officer, told her husband, he confronted Mr Muhia and assaulted him and threatened to kill him.

Mr Muhia said top county officials have been pressuring him to withdraw the case, saying it was denting Governor William Kabogo’s political image.

“Last week, County Secretary Fred Kitema forced me to write a letter withdrawing the case, but I later wrote another through a lawyer recanting the previous one,” he said.

LEADERS DEMAND ARREST

Leaders who visited him at the hospital, led by Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu, aspirants in the 2017 polls George Koimburi (Juja) and N’gan’ga Kin’gara (Ruiru) and MCAs Karungo Thang’wa (Ngewa), Karanga Geche (Kahawa Sukari) and Kinuthia Mburuti (Komothai) demanded the immediate arrest and sacking of the official.

Mr Waititu said the matter should be thoroughly investigated, saying he was surprised that though the case had been reported to the police, the official, who is Governor Kabogo’s nephew, had not been summoned to record a statement.

“By now, the police should have arrested the said official and the county government should have reprimanded him unless they are part of the scheme.

“It’s very unfortunate that the governor has not spoken about this, and the official is accompanying him to his functions,” Mr Waititu said.

On Saturday evening, the official’s wife contacted the Nation and denied that the attack was related to the previous incident, which Mr Kan’gethe has denied, and accused the leaders of stage-managing the attack for political reasons.

Mr Kitema said county officials are investigating the allegations and if the accusations are authenticated, appropriate actions would be taken.