NYERI, Kenya, Aug 12- A court in Nyeri has issued a warrant of arrest against four police officers who attended to the scene of a fatal road crash involving Nyeri Governor, the later Wahome Gakuru.
The road crash happened in 2017, while he was being driven for an early morning interview.
He died while he was being rushed to the nearest hospital in Thika, Kiambu County. The accident occured in Kabati area within Muranga County.
Nyeri Principal Magistrate Weddy Kagendo said the four officers should be arrested for failing to appear at the scene on Thursday.
They are Sergeant John Wanami, Sergent Martin Simiyu, Corporal Francis Kisavi, and Police Constable John Kivuva.
Makuyu Police Officer Commanding Police Division was directed to effect the arrests.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua, County Secretary Benjamin Gachichio, and county Chief of Staff Paul Wambugu were also summoned.
They are expected to explain the circumstances before the death of Gakuru.
It is prosecutor Kennedy Magoma who applied for the arrest of the four officers, after they failed to attend the hearing, during the site visit in Makenji area, in Kabati.
“The four officers were aware of the case, in fact, summons have been issued and as such, I apply for their warrant of arrest for them to explain what happened in a professional manner,” he said.
While issuing the warrant, Principal Magistrate Kagendo said that it’s unfortunate that the four have made her crew to waste public money and they must face the consequences.
Governor Kahiga is set to explain why he had warned the late Gakuru against using his official car.
The late governor’s family lawyer Mary Weru, applied for the summoning of the Governor saying that it was important for him to shed light since he was a direct beneficiary of Gakuru’s death.
“Your honor, it’s good if the Governor appears in court, he made this remark in public at Kimathi University, and as such let him shed light on it,” the lawyer said.
While summoning the legislator, Justice Kagendo noted that Rigathi was a person of interest in the inquest and as such he should also appear.
The case will be heard on September 23 and 24.
The Governor is said to have been stuck in his car wreckage for forty-five minutes, his driver told an inquest in June, 2019.
According to Samson Kinyanjui, the arrival of response teams to the scene was delayed forcing him and onlookers to devise ways of aiding the late Gakuru out of the car wreckage.
“The death was caused by poor response of the emergency teams. The life could have been saved. There was no effort made to rescue him. After struggling I went under the car and lifted him and he was pulled out by public,” he told the inquiry.
Josphat Mwangi, first witness to be examined by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Peter Mairanyi, told the inquest on Wednesday that the late governor had received political threats one week to his death in a tragic road accident.
Mwangi, who was a personal security officer to the late governor, said that Kinyua Kimuri – Gakuru’s political advisor – was angry after the governor failed to honor his promise of awarding Kimuri’s team county slots despite them helping him in his campaigns.
“The late Governor Gakuru had raised concern following a goat eating meeting that was held at Magutu area in Mathira constituency by one of his close allies during the campaign period,” he said.
Gakuru, an acclaimed academic, died on November 7, 2017, at Makenji area of Kabati along the Thika-Murang’a after his Mercedes Benz E250 rammed in to a guardrail when he was going for an interview at a vernacular radio station in Nairobi.
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