Public inquest into the death of Governor Gakuru to be held in January

Third Nyeri County Governor Wahome Gakuru, who died on November 17, 2017. [Waweru Murage]

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has written to the Chief Magistrate’s court in Nyeri to conduct a public inquest into the road accident that killed Nyeri’s third Governor Wahome Gakuru.

The first Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua died of cancer months before the 2017 election after which his deputy Samuel Wamathai became the governor.

Gakuru passed away aged 51 in the accident along Nyeri- Nairobi Highway early morning on November 7, 2017 at Makenji around 7 am on his way to Nairobi.
The governor's  Mercedes E250 rammed into a highway guardrail which ripped through it and emerged from the back. 

In the car were also his personal assistant Albert Gakuru, bodyguard Ahmed Abdi and the driver Samuel Kinyanjui Wanyaga.

Albert had his right arm severed off and also suffered a broken right leg.
The bodyguard's legs were seriously injured while the driver sustained minor injuries.
The PA and the bodyguard were later transferred to a Nairobi Hospital for specialised treatment. 

Gakuru was heading to Nairobi a media interview in one of the local vernacular media stations.
Shocked residents could not comprehend how the Mercedes Benz which they referred to as a small car’ could end up causing such extensive damage to the guard rails. 

“This is very bizarre that such a small car can cause such extensive damage to the guard rails. A person coming here would first think it was a lorry that was involved that was involved in an accident due to the nature of damage caused,” a witness said.

The impact of his death is still profound, especially to residents who had overwhelmingly elected him into office on August 8, exactly three months before the accident.

Gakuru's death happened nine months after  Gachagua's who died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on February 24, 2017.

After  Gakuru's death, his Deputy Mutahi Kahiga, was sworn into office as Governor.

This year, Kahiga appointed his current Deputy Dr Caroline Karugu in May.

To commemorate Gakuru's death, Kahiga held the Wahome Gakuru Memorial Marathon in which Deputy President William Ruto participated.

The matter will be mentioned on January 16, 2019 and  has been filed at the Criminal registry Nyeri Law courts.