Police say varsity student Keino was murdered

By Pamela Chepkemei

Nairobi, Kenya: Former university student Mercy Keino was murdered, police have told a court.

A senior police officer, who is in the team that investigated the incident, told a Nairobi court during the hearing of an inquiry on Keino’s death, that she was not killed by a hit and run vehicle.

When the police officers began their investigations, they were pursuing two theories: A road accident and murder, a witness told the court. Her body was found along Waiyaki Way in Nairobi.

On Tuesday, police officer Gilbert Kitalia based at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters, said the police settled on murder after investigations on a Mercedes Benz, which a caller claimed she witnessed running over Keino body along Waiyaki Way in Westlands Nairobi.

“We suspected murder after we examined the motor vehicle and there was no evidence it hit the deceased. It is unfortunate we could not pin point the person who murdered her,” said Mr Kitalia.

He said the matter was complex and the police had to forward it to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further action.

The officer, who has been in the force for 20 years, told Magistrate Peter Ndwiga, although the cause of death was concluded as murder investigators could not point out the person responsible.

Another witness said he attended a party at Wasini Club, and saw Keino taking alcohol on June 17, 2011.

Commotion

Mr Robert Gitau, a pilot, said Keino was drunk and started breaking glasses. At some point, he heard security men saying there was commotion in a room upstairs where Kiambu Governor William Kabogo was. Keino was also in the same room.

He and a friend went upstairs and on reaching there saw Keino, a relative who had accompanied her to the club and Mr Kabogo.

“I was not able to find out what was happening in the room,” said Mr Gitau.

Security officers belonging to the club led Keino to the gate and she ran towards Waiyaki Way only to be brought back by Gitau’s friend.

Gitau said he and his friend left Keino standing at the gate but heard Keino’s relative shouting that she had escaped for the second time but he never bothered.

The witness said he left the club in Kabogo’s personal vehicle at 3am and was dropped at Westlands Shopping centre where he took a cab home. Kabogo has adversely been mentioned in the death of the student.

The inquest was ordered by the DPP to investigate   Keino’s death under unexplained circumstances on the night of June 17, 2011, after attending a party at Wasini Luxury Apartments in Nairobi.