Police probe crash that claimed life of Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru

President Uhuru Kenyatta condoles with Mrs Catherine Gakuru the wife of the Late Nyeri Governor Dr Wahome Gakuru at their Nairobi home.

Police are probing the car crash that claimed the life of Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru.

Initial reports indicated the accident was caused by a burst tyre but The Standard has learnt that the police are leaving nothing to chance and have dispatched a team of detectives to Murang'a County to start the investigation.

The inquest has also attracted Directorate of Criminal Investigation officers.

A police source told The Standard officers were waiting for two of the county chief's aides who survived the crash to be discharged from hospital so they could record a statement.

Police are trying to reconstruct the accident and will also talk to the first witnesses to arrive at the scene.

"Although we are treating it as an accident, we cannot rule out foul play. That's why we are investigating the matter thoroughly," said a police source.

Conflicting reports

The revelation comes amid conflicting reports from witnesses on how exactly the car veered off the road and struck a guardrail that speared through it.

Central region Police Commander Gideon Amala yesterday confirmed a team was in Murang'a investigating the incident.

The status of the vehicle when it left Nyeri County on Tuesday morning is one of the key details police will be interested in.

The vehicle's service history will be of specific importance since crash investigators could get a sense of the vehicle's condition and information such as when the car was last serviced and when the tyres were last replaced.

The investigators will also look to tyre manufacturer Pirelli to examine the Merecedez Benz's wheels and give a report that could either substantiate or debunk accounts that one of the tyres burst.

Using worn out or over-inflated tyres are some of the factors that could cause a tyre explosion.

Mr Amala said yesterday they would also rope DT Dobie Kenya into their investigations as the likely seller of the vehicle bought by the county in 2014.

The car had been used by former governors Nderitu Gachagua and Samuel Wamathai.

The firm is the leading vendor of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Kenya.

"DT Dobie will inspect the car to see if it was faulty and when it was last serviced. Pirelli will check if the tyre burst before or after the crash," he said.

Police will also want the Kenya National Highway Authority to construct a scenario where the highway guardrails, normally meant to reduce impact, ended up piercing through the car, leading to the governor's fatal injuries.

Dead stop

The vehicle knocked down 11 concrete guardrail posts before eventually coming to a dead stop, with about 50 metres of the metal rail going through the car.

Amala also said they would query all witness accounts to determine which one was most plausible in explaining the cause of the incident.

Yesterday morning, President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret visited the governor's Runda estate home in Nairobi to comfort the grieving family.

The President said he visited the family to encourage and comfort them at this difficult time and assured them of his prayers and support.

“The late Governor Gakuru was a great leader who was devoted to serving the nation. His unwavering commitment and service is exemplary and self-evident,” Uhuru told the county chief's widow Catherine and her family.

Uhuru recalled the giant plans Gakuru had for Nyeri as he aimed to return it to its place as the nerve of the economy of Central Kenya.

“Governor Gakuru had huge plans for Nyeri. And to show respect for this great man, we must stand by his plans and implement them,” the President said.

In his statement on learning of the governor's death, Uhuru said Nyeri and the country had been robbed of great promise. He described the governor as a committed, visionary and tireless leader.

Information and Communication Technology Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, who is co-chairing a national committee responsible for funeral plans, Nyeri Deputy Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu were also present.

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