Olympic marathon widow says she does not know how her husband died

Triza Njeri during the inquest into her husband's death yesterday. [Photo: George Njunge, Standard]

The widow of former Olympic marathoner Samuel Kamau yesterday recounted her altercation with a woman she claims to have found in bed with her husband.

Triza Njeri, who was testifying in an inquest investigating Mr Kamau’s death, told Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi that she had arrived home at around 11pm on May 15, 2011 and found a woman asleep next to Kamau in their bedroom.

Njeri told the court that the woman grabbed her by the neck after she asked what she was doing there with Kamau.

"I went straight to our bedroom and immediately a woman came out of our matrimonial bed, told me she was Kamau's wife and wanted to know who l was. I told her l was Kamau's wife and she grabbed me by the collar,” said Njeri.

She said Kamau remained asleep during the quarrel.

Local OCS

"l left them inside as Kamau slept. I closed the corridor door with a padlock and started to call the local OCS for assistance to avoid a recurrence of what had happened between me and Kamau where he had threatened to kill me with a gun," said Njeri.

The widow said after the altercation with the stranger, she left the bedroom and asked the watchman for the keys to the house and the gate.

While standing at the gate, Njeri said, she saw Kamau on the balcony of the house. He asked her to hand over the keys but she declined.

"I do not know what exactly caused the death of Kamau since l was not in the compound at the time of the incident," she said, adding that after leaving the house, she went and recorded a statement with the police.

During cross-examination on her husband’s property, Njeri told the court that Kamau had four houses in Nyahururu - one belonging to his mother, their home in Muthaiga estate and two rentals.

“I do not collect rent from the houses in Nyahururu because Kamau’s mother does. I only collect money from the houses in Nakuru, which amounts to Sh200,000 a month,” she said.

Asked by lawyer Muendo Unvyu whether she owned a house in Ngong, Njeri said there had been negotiations between Kamau and the property seller that were never concluded.

Questioned on a succession suit filed in Nakuru, Njeri said another woman, Judy Wambui, had filed the case seeking control over Kamau’s property after claiming she had a child with the runner.

“I won that case and the judge directed that I have control of Kamau’s properties, together with my children,” said Njeri.

Kamau’s property

Mr Muendo told Njeri that the case to control ownership of Kamau’s property could have provided a motive for killing him.

But Mr Andayi told Muendo that it appeared he did not have enough information on the Nakuru case and he would have to gather more details if he was going to cross-examine Njeri on the matter.

“This matter has been pending in court for over five years thus it must be concluded by the end of the year,” said Andayi.

During an inquest in August last year, Njeri said she found clothes belonging to Kamau's girlfriend in their house a few days after the death and she took them to the police.

"On our matrimonial bed I also found a top (blouse) that had white stripes, which was not mine," Njeri said.

The matter will be heard on September 12 and 13.

 

 

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