Ruto directed start of Gukuru’s burial plans, inquest told

The State and family of former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru have questioned the urgency by politicians led by Deputy President William Ruto to bury the county boss who died in a grisly road crash.

Dr Gakuru died in a bloody crash at Makenji along the Nyeri-Nairobi highway on the morning of November 7, 2017 while being driven to nairobi for a radio talk show.

On Thursday, during the ongoing inquest into the circumstances that caused his death, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Peter Mailanyi and family representative Martha Waweru questioned why plans to bury the governor kicked off immediately after his death.

LEE FUNERAL HOME

A witness, businessman Wachira Keen, told the inquest that it was the deputy president who ordered for the start of the burial arrangements after political leaders viewed the governor’s body at Lee Funeral Home.

Mr Keen testified that the politicians held an informal meeting at Serena Hotel Nairobi to kick-start the funeral arrangements, in accordance to Mr Ruto’s directive.

The meeting was chaired by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, Mr Keen told the inquest heard by Nyeri Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo.

The trader, who was the chairman of the Athi Water Services Board, had accompanied the body from Thika Level Five Hospital where Dr Gakuru had been rushed the crash.

START SEND-OFF

“The deputy president joined us at Lee funeral Home and he told us to start the governor’s send-off. We were many leaders at the mortuary including Mr Sonko and Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina,” said Mr Keen.

Other leaders present at the mortuary, the witness recalled, were governors Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu), Mwangi Wa Iria (Murang’a), Kiambu Deputy Governor James Nyoro and Kieni MP Kanini Kega.

Asked by the State counsel why the burial arrangements were started immediately, the witness said he did not find it surprising.

GOOD GESTURE

He added that the deputy president’s move was a good gesture for a responsible political party leadership and government.

But the State counsel and the family representative questioned what occasioned the hurry to inter the remains of the governor.

“Why was there a hurry to bury daktari (Governor Gakuru) and start the plans even before his body got cold? Investigations and enquiry on what had happened would have been allowed but instead you moved on swiftly,” Ms Waweru stated.

Ms Waweru also suggested to the inquest that the governor could have risked his political career because he had started his governorship job with zeal and gusto intending to unite Mt Kenya region.

She gave an instance of a summit convened by Dr Gakuru in Nanyuki which resolved on the revival of the old railway line so as to boost the region’s economic activities.

SEVERE INJURIES

The inquest heard that the governor was taken to the Thika hospital in Mr Keen’s Toyota Prado car with severe injuries on his legs and below the hip joint.

On the way to hospital the county boss was groaning in pain.

Mr Keen said he was heading to Nairobi for a meeting with the Athi Water Services Board when he found the governor’s Mercedes car trapped in a guard rail.

RESCUE MISSION

“I was asleep in my car when my driver John Mwangi alerted me that there was an accident. I noticed it was Governor Gakuru’s vehicle. I alighted and joined the public in the rescue mission,” said Mr Keen.

On arrival at the scene he found one of the governor’s security guards with a pistol still stuck on his waist band sitting in the middle of the road reciting prayers in Arabic. The guard had severe injuries on the legs.

Mr Keen told the court that Dr Gakuru remained trapped in the car’s wreckage for over 40 minutes, bleeding profusely.

The Council of Governors had dispatched a chopper to airlift DR Gakuru to Nairobi but it was too late as when it arrived he had already passed on.

The inquest will resume on Monday, September 30.