Gakurus's driver was speeding, witnesses tell inquest

The driver of the Mercedes Benz carrying the late Nyeri governor Wahome Gakuru was speeding most of the time before the fatal accident.

This was said on Friday by three witnesses who testified at the inquest on the death of the governor.

 Corporal Ahmed Kaib said they would lose sight of the chase vehicle when the driver,  Samuel Kinyanjui Wanyaga, sped.

Kaib was attached to Gakuru after he won the August 2017 election.

“Most of the times we were the ones overtaking other vehicles on the road. But I could not read the speedometer," he said.

Kaib was seated at the back left and was the personal bodyguard for the governor and the head of the governor’ security team.

He lost his right leg which was amputated below the knees following the accident.

He told chief magistrate Wendy Kagendo that he was rushed to Thika Level Five Hospital and later hospitalised at Nairobi Hospital for five months.

When they got at Kabati, Kaib said: "The driver was at high speed when he swerved the vehicle to the left side hitting guardrail. I did not know what transpired after that until I later found myself lying on the tarmac," he said.

Kaib called on the inquest to expedite the hearing to put the matter to rest saying those who were involved in the accident are suffering.

He said though he is still with the Kenya Police Service, he is unable to work as he used to and his family is suffering.

 When being close-examined by Thamana Africa organisation lawyer Mathar Weru, Kaib contradicted the Mercedes driver.

Kaib told the inquest they did not manage to overtake any canter and neither did the canter touch the vehicle, which is the opposite of what the driver had stated.

He said the Mercedes, chase car and canter were all on the right side and the Mercedes Benz driver tried to overtake the canter from the left side but said at no point did the canter hit the Mercedes.

Kinyanjui had told the inquest that he managed to overtake the canter, which pushed the Mercedes to the guardrails.

He also said he did not hear the governor cry “God we are gone” as the driver had stated.

  On the relationship between the driver and the governor, Kaib said he did not realise any sour relationship between the two for the three weeks the driver had worked as the governor’s driver.

However, he said the governor was not very talkative and most of the time only talked to his personal assistant, Albert Gakuru.

“But according to my experience, it is normal for many bosses to be that silent,” he said.

Kinyanjui had told the inquest that the governor communicated to him through gestures and had ordered him out of the driver’s seat twice and drove himself.

All witnesses have been collaborating in their testimonies that they found Josphat Mwangi Maina, who introduced himself as a senior police officer in the rank of a Senior Superintendent of police attached to the DCI.

Maina called the shots, they said and got information from the governor and passed it to them.

Kaib, however, said he had not heard the governor express fear for his life.

During cross-examination by Kinyua Kimuri’s lawyer Albert  Mwaura, Kaib said the latter and the governor were close.

At one time the governor visited Kimuri at his farm in Mathira where they strolled in his farm soon after the governor assumed office.

Kaib, like all other witnesses, said it was raining and misty throughout the journey but Inspector Jestimore Malit, a forensic crime scene investigation officer from the DCI, said it was clear and not raining.

Malit said he arrived at the scene before 7am after receiving a call from Makuyu base commander where he took photographs of the crime scene from various angles.

He said he did not find the governor or anyone of the victims trapped in the car.

He however said according to his estimation, the Mercedes was travelling at over 100 kilometres per hour.

The other witness who took to the stand was APC Samson Lekol, also attached to governor security team.

He was in the chase car together with Maina and Peter Mwaniki.

"At Makenji in Kabati the Mercedes tried to overtake a white lorry, it shifted right to overtake but the lorry also shifted right. The driver swerved hitting guardrails,” Lekol said.

He said he just saw something protrude from the rear part of the Mercedes. He realised it was the guardrail which entered through the front side of the car and exited at the rear.

He said no blood was visible on the governor’s upper side of the body as his white shirt appeared spotless clean but spotted blood after lifting him up.

Nyeri politician Wachira Keen arrived soon after with a Prado and helped rush him to hospital.

Like Kaib, he also did not see the canter touch the Mercedes.

He said Kimuri visited the governor occasionally in his office and had at one point visited his (Kimuri’s) home in the company of Maina but without the governor.

“We always referred to Maina as SSP but realized he was not a police officer when recording statements after the accident,” he said.

The governor's PA also sustained injuries on the left hand while the driver escaped unhurt.

Already seven witnesses have testified with 13 of them remaining.

The sitting will resume on September 26 and 30 and October 1 and 3.