Police meeting dead ends in Keino murder probe

BY BERNARD MOMANYI

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null 1/1 NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 28 – Police are now saying that they have so far not unearthed any evidence to show that University of Nairobi student Mercy Keino was murdered. Detectives investigating the mysterious death told Capital News that the case is proving to be an “outright road accident.” They spoke as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko directed Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to finalise investigations within seven days and hand over the file to him. “Following media reports on the mysterious death of University of Nairobi student, Mercy Chepkosgei Keino, the Director of Public Prosecutions on Monday, 27 June 2011, directed the Commissioner of Police to immediately constitute a team of investigators to takeover and carryout thorough and expeditious investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of the student,” a statement from his office said. ”The investigation team shall be assisted in the course of the investigations by two senior prosecuting counsel from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions,” it added. The DPP further directed that the findings of the investigations and accompanying investigation file should be submitted to him within seven days. “There is a lot of speculation about this case but we have not been able to get anything to link the death to the speculations flying around. People are talking too much but they are not providing any assistance,” one senior detective at the Parklands police station said. From what is emerging, the detective said, Mercy Keino who was pursuing a Masters Degree Programme at the University of Nairobi was “too intoxicated and might have been run over by a motorist or motorists on the highway.” The dark green Mercedes Benz whose owner drove to Parklands police station on Monday is still detained at the station where detectives were still analysing it Tuesday. Police officers there said they had received reports that the vehicle may have been painted lately and they were interested to know if the new coat of paint, if any, was applied before or after the accident. They are particularly keen to establish if the vehicle had ran over the woman and sustained dents. “That is information we are trying to verify, the owner is free but we have his contacts and he is readily available to come to assist us whenever we require him. He is very cooperative with us and infect we are impressed because he offered to present himself,” the detective speaking on condition of anonymity said. Police said they had contacted mechanics who have been serving and repairing the Mercedes Benz to assist in the investigations on the latest development. “The investigations are far and wide, we are also awaiting a report of tests carried on samples extracted from the woman’s body to ascertain if she was raped before the death. We are exploring all the angles because we want Kenyans to know the truth,” he added. A pathologist who conducted a postmortem on the body of Mercy Keino has told police the results of the tests will be out in due course and will be valuable in the investigations. By Tuesday afternoon, 18 witnesses had recorded statements with the police at the Parklands police station, mainly people who attended a party with the woman at an exclusive apartment block in Westlands on the night her body was discovered lying on Waiyaki Way. They include Juja Member of Parliament William Kabogo, his two bodyguards, workers at the apartment block and guests who attended the party as well as guards who reported seeing the body being tossed out of a Mercedes Benz. The owner of the vehicle who turned up at the Parklands Police station on Monday said he spotted the body on the highway and proceeded with his journey like other motorists. University of Nairobi students have given notice of a massive demonstration in the capital Nairobi Wednesday when they intend to vent their on the police for failing to unravel the mysterious death of their colleague. Follow us on TWITTER @CapitalFM_Kenya and the author at https://twitter.com/momanyi.bernard

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