Wanjiru's father speaks as widow reveals final hours

By James Munyeki Things got bizarre after a man claiming to be the biological father of the late Olympic gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru emerged to narrate the story of his deceased son, whom he claimed was kept away from him since his rise to stardom in athletics.
Peter Kimani Kirihinya, 65, further said he would like to bury the famed marathoner, next to the grave of his younger son.

Samuel Wanjiru’s father, Mr Peter Kimani Kirihinya (centre) and other relatives talk to The Standard at their Kiambu home Tuesday. [PHOTO: MBUGUA KIBERA/ STANDARD]

However, Kirihinya — or Kimani wa Nelly — as he is commonly known at his Ihiga village in Kiambaa constituency, said he would not contest any decision that would be made, especially by his estranged wife, Hannah Wanjiru, on the athlete’s final resting place."I will want to bury my son next to where I buried his younger brother Njenga. But I would not want to place any objection to where his mother feels the body should be buried. The boy is no more and there is no need squabbling over who or where he is buried, but granted I would want to take the responsibility," said Kirihinya.
Stopped associating
Kirihinya, however, says after his son moved to Japan and started his winning streak, he stopped associating with his father, and that he never saw his son since the day he left his home.
"It would appear that after he became successful and got the money some people created a wedge and possibly misadvised him against associating with us. He chose his maternal grandparents’ family," he said.
Asked if he has ever enjoyed the generosity of his son, Kirihinya quipped: "Would I be looking tattered as I do if he were supporting me? He has never given me any money, but I would not hold it against him. It was his money and how he spent it was to his discretion".
New twist
A new twist in Wanjiru’s death emerged after his mother claimed her son may have been murdered.
Hannah Wanjiru alleged her son was killed in his bedroom before his body was dropped from the balcony to conceal evidence, dismissing the version given by his widow, Triza Njeri that he fell and injured himself after jumping from the balcony in a drunken stupor.
But in an interview with The Standard Tuesday, Njeri revealed she was at their Muthaiga residence in Nyahururu that fateful day waiting for her husband, and only left some time after 5pm for supper at a friend’s house. She went to the friend’s house after Wanjiru, whom she was expecting from Nakuru, called and said he would be late.
She said her husband was to pick her up from the friend’s house, but when he failed to do so by 10pm, she called their driver who dropped her home, not knowing her husband had arrived.
Njeri said she took some medicine and then went to the bedroom, only to find Wanjiru in their bed with a woman who claimed to be the athlete’s wife. They quarreled and Njeri opted to take the bedroom keys and lock them in before hurrying out to call the police.
Police had also given contradictory accounts of the death, after earlier claiming Wanjiru might have committed suicide.
"I wonder why the police and the widow are giving false statements concerning my son’s death. I believe that my son did not commit suicide nor did he fall accidentally. He was killed," Wanjiru’s mother, Hannah, claimed.
Blood stains
Hannah Wanjiru alleged at a press conference at her house that there were bloodstains in her son’s Muthaiga bedroom, indicating he was killed there and his body dumped on the floor.
"Why did they wash the bloodstains in his bedroom if the killing was not done there? Where was the blood from?" she posed.
She claimed that a blunt object might have been used to hit him at the back of his head where he had injuries.
Hannah wondered how the night guard did not see Wanjiru entering the compound in the company of a woman, Jane Nduta as it was reported.
She claimed that it was Njeri who had called for an urgent meeting with Wanjiru, who was then training in Eldoret.
She said the call prompted her son to travel late in the night to meet his wife who was in the house.
"My son called me on Sunday during the day and informed me that he was due to travel and meet Njeri at the house. How come then that he met his death at a time the wife called for such a meeting?" she asked.
On which of the three women was recognised by her family, Hannah said it was Mary Wacera who had legally been married by the athlete as he had even paid her dowry.
Introducing her to the Press, she said it was Wacera who had been taking care of her and she was the one every family member knew.
"As a family, we know of Wacera who has been taking care of me all the time. Njeri was just a girlfriend," she noted.
On Monday, another woman in Nakuru, Judy Wambui claimed she was carrying Wanjiru’s five-month pregnancy and that they had been friends for five years.
Speaking while standing next to Wanjiru’s mother, Wacera who has a nine-month old baby said that they had lived with the athlete since 2009.
Wacera a policewoman, said they have lived together as husband and wife and he had even paid her dowry.
Wanjiru’s property
She now wants Wanjiru’s property allocated to her so that she can bring up the child, Ann Wanjiru.
Hannah Wanjiru claimed that the death was "as a result of his family problems and people who want a share in his property".
She dismissed claims Wanjiru was found with another woman in his Muthaiga home. She said police should conduct further investigations by thoroughly questioning the wife, Triza Njeri.
Her account contradicted earlier reports that the athletics champion fell accidentally from the balcony of his Muthaiga residence while pursuing his wife after an argument.
It had been alleged by police that Njeri caught the two in their bedroom at around 12.30am on Sunday night.
But the mother denied the claims alleging they were lies.
Wacera’s claim to be Wanjiru’s second wife came a day after Njeri claimed her husband was married to two other women.
Speaking to The Standard yesterday morning, she said that she did not know of any other woman and demanded that all Wanjiru’s wealth be left in her care.
The widow came out fighting against claims by two women that they were his wives. Njeri said she was Wanjiru’s legal wife, and he never informed her of plans to marry other women.
She said the claims were meant to discredit and shame her late husband and claim his property. She said a member of Wanjiru’s family has in the past been fueling quarrels in her family and was behind the claims.
"Kamau never told me of any other marriage apart from my legal one and the claims by the two are just meant to discredit his name. I know who has been fueling all these claims since she does not want me here," she told The Standard.