Monday, June 17, 2013

Nairobi businessman denies killing Mercy Keino


Detectives investigating Ms Keino’s killing inspect a vehicle belonging to a city businessman. Photo/FILE
Detectives investigating Ms Keino’s killing inspect a vehicle belonging to a city businessman. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP
By PAUL OGEMBA pogemba@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, June 17  2013 at  17:10
A businessman has denied allegations of killing former university student Mercy Keino and tossing her out of his vehicle.
Mr Wickliffe Lugwiri told an inquest into the death of Ms Keino that there was no way he could have managed to kill her and at the same time throw her out of his car when he was driving at full speed. (Read: Accident ruled out in Keino death)
Ms Keino’s body was found on Waiyaki Way in June 2011 soon after storming out of a party hosted by Kiambu Governor William Kabogo at Wasini Luxury Homes in Westlands.
Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko ordered a public inquest into her death after investigations failed to link any suspect to her murder.
On Monday, the witness said he had nothing to do with her death.
“I did not murder anybody. I did not knock, run over or toss a body from my car and if anyone said he saw my car running over a body along Waiyaki Way in Westlands, it will be a lie,” said Lugwiri.
Mr Lugwiri admitted being the owner of a green Mercedes Benz which a witness had alleged ran over the body of Ms Keino on the night of June 17, 2011.
He also admitted seeing the body of Ms Keino on the roadside but that he saw it in time and swerved to avoid running over it.
A witness, Ms Lucina Wanjeri Muriuki had told the inquest that she spotted Ms Keino’s body under a car the night she was apparently killed and reported the matter to Parklands police station.
According to Ms Muriuki, she did not see the vehicle hit any person as she approached it but saw a person’s legs underneath as she was passing.
She testified that she was driving behind another car and was trying to overtake it when she saw the body but it happened in a split second that she could not clearly figure out what had actually happened.
She said she saw the Mercedes Benz moving suspiciously and driving on the right side with full headlights on and found the action odd after which she noted its registration numbers.
Mr Lugwiri, however, said he was surprised after being summoned to Parklands police station on allegations that his car was being suspected of dropping a dead body along Waiyaki Way and denied allegations that he changed the bonnet of his car after being involved in an accident.
“It is true some repair was done on my car, some panel beating and a change of the bonnet which was necessary since I bought the car with an old bonnet,” said Lugwiri.
According to Mr Lugwiri, he did not go partying to any club in Westlands on the fateful night and that he encountered the incident as a result of a lady friend who left her purse in his car.
He said he had drinks with friends at a club along Lang’ata road and at around 2am, he left and headed home.
A few minutes later, he received a call from his friends that one of the ladies had left her purse in his car.
He decided to drive back and it was when he passed by Ms Keino’s body along Waiyaki Way.
“It was when I saw a body on the roadside with white clothes. I swerved to avoid running over it and when I slowed down, I saw some blood near it. I did not take any interest in the body so I proceeded,” he said.
Mr Lugwiri added that he even tried calling the police but they did not pick up and when he was summoned, he took his car for inspection but they did not find any traces of blood.
The hearing continues on Tuesday.

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