DPP recommends inquest over death of a deputy CEO

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ordered an inquest into the death of a senior official of a Murang'a-based sacco.

James Murigi, who was the deputy chief executive officer of Mentor Sacco, is said to have died in an accident on September 22, last year at Choma Zone along the Murang’a-Kenol road.

Senior Assistant DPP Sebastian Mutinda directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to place the file on the matter before a magistrate for an inquest to be opened.

He said he had opted for an inquest after investigations into the official’s death hit a brick wall.

Mr Mutinda noted that a postmortem showed Mr Murigi died from multiple injuries.

In a letter to Murang’a County Investigations Officer, dated February 13, Mutinda noted the multiple injuries were due to blunt force consistent with motor vehicle accident.

“I also direct that further investigations be undertaken to unearth the alleged motorcycle rider who is said to have fled the scene of the accident soon after it occurred,” read part of Mr Mutinda’s letter.

The DPP concluded that analysis of the evidence in the file had failed to point out the perpetrator(s) for the crime.

The motorcyclist, who was reportedly involved in the accident, has not been traced to date, according to investigators.

During investigations into the mysterious death, detectives interrogated 15 witnesses. Some of them said they picked Murigi by the roadside after he was involved in an accident and took him to hospital.

The investigators also analysed data in the deceased’s phones as well as his emails, which were looked at by the Cyber Crime Unit.

Thorough investigations

The DPP reported that none of the witnesses interrogated said they knew the registration numbers of the motorcycle said to have been involved in the accident.

The family of the deceased has demanded thorough investigations into his death.  

The deceased’s brother Elijah Mwangi, said the family wants to know why Murigi was ordered by his seniors to check on individuals who were reportedly filming the Sacco offices on the day he died.

He had taken charge of the Sacco for three months when his boss was on maternity leave.