It’s exactly two years since Nyeri’s third Governor perished in a grisly accident at Makenji along Thika-Murang’a highway.
Dr. Patrick Wahome Gakuru perished in a fatal car accident on a chilly morning on November 7, 2017. The national government, on request by prosecutorial and investigative agencies, set a public inquest with a motive of determining circumstances behind Wahome Gakuru’s death.
The public inquest is judiciary supervised by Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo at the Nyeri Law Courts with Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Peter Mailanyi taking charge of the prosecution.
A number of interesting perspectives have since played out since the public inquest commenced, earlier, this year.
Witnesses differ on the time taken to ‘rescue’ Governor Gakuru/The Standard
According to the Standard newspaper, Witnesses who have testified in the inquest into the death of former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru have differed on the time taken to rescue him at the accident scene.
A traffic officer who responded to a distress call told a Nyeri court that the police took 18 minutes to get to the scene, contradicting previous witnesses who had claimed the governor bled for over 45 minutes as he was stuck inside the car.
Pending divorce and cause of death revealed in Nyeri Governor Gakuru death inquest/Citizen TV
The late Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru died from excessive bleeding following a road accident on November 7, 2017, according to Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor.
According to Oduor, the late governor’s body had several cuts and abrasions which he described as pale.
Wahome Gakuru’s widow, Catherine Wahome testified, with the court learning that Gakuru had also filed for divorce.
Catherine revealed that the late governor had sought a divorce in 2013. The two are said to have lived separately from 2008, however, by the time of the governor’s death the divorce had not been finalised.
She denied a theory fronted by Gakuru’s family lawyer Martha Waweru, that she could have been involved in a plot to kill the governor.
Governor Wahome Gakuru feared for his life, court told/The Standard
Former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru had expressed fears for his life before his death, a Nyeri court was told yesterday.
Gakuru’s nephew, Simon Waruru, told an inquest that the governor voiced fears after the 2017 General Election.
“The governor was paranoid and he was always suspicious of his surroundings. He insisted that no one should be let into his house without his consent,” Waruru told a court that is seeking to establish the circumstances under which Gakuru died.
Waruru said that whenever they went to meet people, Gakuru avoided eating outside. And when he could, he preferred eating at a kiosk for fear of being poisoned.
“He was very keen on the environment whenever he was served any drink or food. He told me his nemesis could collude with hotels to poison him. He preferred eating mandazi and tea because it would take less time to prepare,” said Waruru.
He revealed that Gakuru avoided drinking tea in the office and that he only trusted his nephew, Victor Gakuru, who was his chef at home.
“He used to tell me there were people who were not afraid of putting things in his drink.”
Waruru claimed that a detective who led the investigation into Gakuru’s death had told him that the governor could have been killed.
“We were in constant contact with detective Nyuguto and he personally told me that Gakuru was assassinated.”
According to Waruru, the governor had ordered for a special audit of the former regime under Governor Samuel Wamathai because he suspected that funds had been mismanaged.
Waruru said Gakuru faced objections from various people including Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
“The governor told me the MP would not want the audit to be done because he was an interested party in the previous regime,” he said.
