The highly-influential former ruling party’s KANU Kirinyaga County treasurer, Waweru Gachibiri, is dead.
According to his family, Gachibiri spent the better part of Saturday, April 18, taking traditional brew with neighbours from around 2 pm to 6.30 pm when he went home to beat the curfew.
His nephew, Moses Kurima, said his uncle started complaining of severe stomachache immediately he arrived home and soon after started vomiting.
He quickly slid into unconsciousness, Kurima said.
The nephew said Gachibiri, a former Kirinyaga Water and Sanitation Company chairman, was immediately taken to the Kerugoya Referral Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“We suspect something went wrong during merrymaking. We have already reported the matter to the police and expect a post-mortem report tomorrow,” Kurima said.
Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri, who visited the family, demanded a thorough investigation as Gachibiri’s kin suspect foul play.
Ndambiri, who was accompanied by KANU officials from the county, cautioned against speculation over Gachibiri’s death.
The deputy governor said Gachibiri was a key political player, having been the one who proposed Kirinyaga governor during her nomination.
Kirinyaga KANU chairman, John Ngure Kathungu, said Gachibiri’s death is a big blow to the party, saying that the deceased played a huge role during the formation of TNA party, which he served as county secretary.
“Muratina is a good drink but we suspect Gachibiri’s drink was laced with something else and that is why he vomited blood,” claimed Kathungu.
The body was moved to the Kerugoya Referral Hospital mortuary.
