A motorist who claims he saw Mercy Keino minutes before she was found dead along Waiyaki Way in Nairobi has denied killing her. Michael NJoroge told the inquest into the death of the former University of Nairobi post-graduate student whose body was found the highway in June last year: “ I saw a girl in the middle of the road trying to flag down vehicles but I veered off the road to avoid hitting her.”
Njoroge, who runs a modeling agency in the city, said he was driving a dark Toyota premio past 2.30am and was on his way to drop off friends after a nightout in a club in Westlands. “She suddenly appeared in front of me for about five seconds. I saw her walking flagging down vehicles. I swerved to avoid hitting her and continued driving,'' he told court.
On his away back 15 minutes later, Njoroge said, he saw cars slowing down at the place he saw the girl. “I instantly braked and I got off the road to see what was happening. That’s when I noticed it was a human being lying on the road. The person I saw was the girl I had seen earlier."
Mercy was found dead on the highway less than two kilometres from the Wasini Luxury Apartments where she had gone out for a party with her friends on the night of June 17 last year. The party was hosted by Juja MP William Kabogo. While being cross-examined by lawyer Cliff Ombeta, the witness contradicted his evidence after he said that he saw the girl running towards him. He also contradicted his earlier evidence that he recorded with the police claiming the girl he saw wore a ''greenish white top”.
Yesterday, Njoroge told the court the girl wore a dark top. He said he observed the body for about five seconds but later said he saw the body for about 1 minute. he said he could not remember the date or the month when the incident occurred. Earlier, Mercy’s fiance narrated to the court how he went searching for her a day after she went missing.
Ronald Kiprop Kemboi told court he learnt of Mercy disappearance at 3.30am after Scolastica Namwai, a relative who had invited Mercy to the party, called him to tell him the news. “I could not get Mercy because Scolastica said she had her phone. I just sat waiting for her and when she did not turn up, I went looking for her at Wasini . I also went to Muthangari police station, Parklands and Central police station before I was advised to look for her at the City Mortuary” he said.
Kiprop said he last talked to Mercy on the fateful night at about eight when she texted her and informed him that she was going to accompany Scolastica to a party. Before she was found on Waiyaki Way, witnesses have claimed Mercy was drunk and disorderly. She allegedly drunk wine and Whisky. Last December the director of public prosecution Keriako Tobiko ordered for inquest into the student’s death on the grounds that police investigations were not conclusive.
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