The hearing into the death of Late Nyeri Governor, Wahome Gakuru, took a fresh twist after his wife, Catherine Gakuru, was questioned over her involvement in her late husband’s death.
The late Gakuru lost his life in a grisly road accident on November 7, 2017 on the Nyeri- Nairobi area at Kabati area. The then County Chief’s vehicle rammed into a guard rail with the rail forcing its way through the car and pinning the Governor to his seat.
An ongoing inquest into the governor’s death saw his wife questioned on Thursday on whether she had a hand in her husband’s death.
Lawyer representing Wahome’s parents, Martha Waweru, suggested that Mrs Gakuru planned a thing or two leading to her husband’s painful death.
Martha asked Mrs Gakuru whether she had a hand in her husband’s death by planning for the same using people who were so close to the then County boss, including his driver identified as Samson Kinyanjui.
Mrs. Gakuru, however, denied all the allegations tabled against her stating that her Christian roots cannot allow her to kill someone.
“I am shocked [by Waweru’s question],” Catherine told Magistrate Wendy Kagendo.
“I have never had any interest in killing anyone, including [my now-late husband] Gakuru. My [Christian] faith cannot even allow me to do that,” She added as quoted by K24 Digital.
She further stated that she was not aware of her husband’s itinerary and as such there was no way she could have planned to have him eliminated from the face of this earth.
Mrs. Gakuru would however face another hurdle after Lawyer Waweru who represents Amada Africa, a company the late Gakuru served as CEO pressed her even further with questions on her relationship with a man only identified as Baba Maina.
Baba Maina is alleged to be an impostor who paraded himself as the head of Governor Gakuru’s Security.
According to Lawyer Waweru, Catherine Gakuru and Baba Maina were very close and the alleged impostor could time and again visit her at her Runda residence.
Mrs. Gakuru denied the Baba Maina claims and revelead that she came to know the man during the 2017 General Elections Campaigns.
More revelations on the late Gakuru’s relationship with his wife were also made with the Court finding out that the County Chief did not see eye to eye with her wife and they had even separated in 2008. The two had been living separately since then.
Ten More witnesses are expected to testify in the inquest that continues on Friday, November 4th.
In November 2017, Gakuru’s driver at the time of the accident, Mr Samuel Kinyanjui claimed that it was his mistake while at the wheel that caused the accident.
The driver said that he stepped on the accelerator pedal instead of braking in a moment of panic as he tried to avoid colliding with other cars.
“We were late but the governor told me not to speed because it was raining and the road was slippery. I was driving at a speed of around 105 and 110 kilometres per hour when one of the rear tyres burst.
“…but as I slowed down and was steering the vehicle to the side, I realised that a lorry which was behind me was approaching at a high speed. I had to swerve suddenly to avoid the lorry which was trying to overtake me,” he recounted.
“I thought if I hit the guardrail the car would stop. I feared that if the lorry hit me from the rear, it would push us into the middle of the road and cause a bad accident between multiple cars.
“The impact with the guardrail forced my airbag to deploy. That’s when I hit the accelerator pedal because the airbag blocked my view. I don’t understand how the guardrail got into the car,” he told the inquest.