Woman gets DNA order on Wanjiru

By MARTIN MUTUA and JAMES MUNYEKI

A woman has obtained a court order to extract samples from the body of late marathoner Samuel Kamau Wanjiru for DNA analysis for her unborn child.

Ms Judy Wambui, who says he was his second wife, claims to be five-months pregnant with Wanjiru’s baby.

Wambui, through lawyer Kahiga Waitinde, moved to court on Thursday under a certificate of urgency saying she fears that the rights of her child would be violated.

Judy Wambui, who claims to be a wife of the late Samuel Kamau Wanjiru. She said that she was aware that Kamau had another wife.[PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

Kahiga invoked the provisions of the new Constitution, which he said recognised the right to life, and that life begins at conception.

He said the application was meant to prevent a dispute on the child’s paternity in future.

Justice Anyara Emukule ordered that a representative of Biotech Forensics take the samples for the DNA during the post-mortem examination to be conducted today at the Lee Funeral Home.

In the application, Kahiga said there is no dispute that Wambui was Wanjiru’s wife as he confided in her when he was alive.

"My client has original documents for some of the properties in Nakuru and evidence that they were living as man and wife," he said.

Dowry negotiations

She said she was living with Wanjiru since 2009 when she completed college and he had visited her parents to start dowry negotiations.

She adds that the late Olympics marathon champion had furnished her house, was paying rent and was planning to buy her a house in the upmarket Milimani estate in Nakuru.

"I am now a helpless expectant widow with no future husband and my future is uncertain," she states.

The case will be mentioned on June 2 when another case filed by Wanjiru’s mother to stop the burial will be heard.

Meanwhile, the committee organising Wanjiru’s burial has proposed June 8 as the date for his interment.

This came in the open as organisers of a demonstration against Wanjiru’s mother called off the protest.

This was after his mother, Hannah Wanjiru, agreed that the post-mortem examination be done today in the presence of doctors from both sides.

However, the date is yet to be agreed upon by the mother, who said she would decide on a date after the autopsy results.

The committee argued that Wanjiru had wished that he be buried on a Wednesday upon his death.

Organising committee chairman Ndegwa Wahome said since next Wednesday would be a holiday (Madaraka Day) they had settled on June 8.

"His friends and relatives have come to me saying the athlete had mentioned to them that he would like to be buried on a Wednesday upon his death. We would like to respect his wish," he noted.