Ex-Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru’s death inquest stalls

Former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru. The public inquest into his death failed to proceed on March 6, 2019. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The inquest is looking into the circumstances that caused the governor’s death in a road crash in November 2017.
  • Mr Waruru Ndegwa asked Chief Justice David Maraga to ensure the inquest is concluded expeditiously.
  • Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Peter Mairanyi said the State had lined up 20 witnesses in the inquest.

Public inquest into the death of former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru failed to proceed on Wednesday.

The delay was occasioned by the absence of the presiding magistrate who is in police custody in connection to her husband’s death.

Senior Resident Magistrate Pauline Maisy Chesang' is being detained by police in Athi River to allow detectives conclude investigations into her role in the murder of her husband Mr Robert Chesang’.

The inquest is looking into the circumstances that caused the governor’s death in a road crash in November 2017.

The late governor’s family, through their spokesperson Mr Waruru Ndegwa, asked Chief Justice David Maraga to ensure the inquest, that started on January 16, 2019, is concluded expeditiously.

PUBLIC INQUEST

“We are grateful that the Director of Criminal Investigations ordered for a public inquest to find out whether anybody can be held culpable for Governor Gakuru’s death. But we urge the Chief Justice (David Maraga) to allocate the file to another court to avoid delays,” said Mr Ndegwa in Nyeri on Wednesday.    

He said that Nyeri residents and the country were eager to know the outcome of the inquest.   

“As a family, we want to know the truth on whether the governor was eliminated. We call on Mr Maraga to ensure the magistrate who will take over the matter is a person of integrity,” he added.

Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Peter Mairanyi said the State had lined up 20 witnesses in the inquest.

WITNESSES

Already three witnesses, led by the former governor’s personal assistant Josphat Mwangi Maina and two body guards, Corporal Peter Mwaniki Maigua and Corporal Samson Lekol have testified.

Gakuru died on November 7, 2017 in a road accident at Makenji area on the Nyeri-Nairobi Highway while on his way to Nairobi for an interview with a vernacular radio station.

In the crash Dr Gakuru’s driver, Samson Kinyanjui, lost control of the vehicle – a Mercedes E250 – and rammed into a guard rail which tore through the car.

The vehicle had four occupants at the time of the crash— the deceased, his personal assistant Albert Gakuru, his body guard Ahmed Abdi and the driver Samuel Kinyanjui.

The case will be mentioned on March 20, 2019.