Man denies being naked in City Park shooting after nightlong miraa date
By SAM KIPLAGATA 26-year-old man who survived a shooting at City Park in Nairobi in May last year Wednesday narrated the events of the fateful day in court and how his aunt was allegedly killed by policemen.
Two policemen, Mr William Chirchir and Mr Godfrey Kirui, from Makadara and Industrial Area police stations, respectively, have denied killing the businesswoman in the May 20, 2018 incident.
On Wednesday, Mr Bernard Chege told High Court judge Martha Mutuku that he, Ms Janet Waiyaki and a friend identified as Koome spent the entire night of May 19, 2018 at Pangani shopping centre, chewing miraa (Khat).
He had earlier in the evening picked Ms Waiyaki from her home in Donholm and headed to Pangani.
He said they were chewing miraa seated inside the vehicle.
‘JUST CHILLING’
Asked by the prosecutor if they were doing anything unusual, Mr Chege said they were just “chilling”.
They then drove towards Naivasha in the wee hours of the morning, “to view the sunrise” at the Rift Valley view point.
They first fuelled their vehicles — Koome was also driving — at a petrol station on Museum Hill before hitting the road.
Upon reaching the scene, it was foggy but they still took pictures before heading back to Nairobi.
On their way, Mr Chege said his aunt (Ms Waiyaki) said she did not want to go back to her house yet and it was then that they decided to drive to City Park and get some rest.
He said he dozed off on the driver’s seat as she slept at the back before they were rudely awoken by someone banging on the car door.
“I then saw people and a gun. I switched on the engine and drove off,” he said, adding that he only drove for a few meters before stopping when he felt a sharp pain in his back.
‘BLEEDING PROFUSELY’
“I realised I had been shot. I was bleeding profusely and I called for help. A policewoman assisted me into a waiting vehicle and took me to Avenue Park hospital,” he said.
The witness said before leaving the scene, he called Ms Waiyaki but she could not respond.
“The officer even tried shaking her but she was motionless,” he said.
He was hospitalised for about two weeks.
Asked by the prosecutor about his relationship with Ms Waiyaki, Mr Chege said they were very close and they had been to City Park previously.
He denied claims that he was found naked inside the car and that he disobeyed orders by the police to open the vehicle.
“I put it to you that you are a dishonest person and that you are lying to the court,” Mr Ham Lagat, a defence lawyer said.
“It is not true,” Mr Chege added.
Earlier, Ms Faith Wangeci, Chege’s mother testified saying she was informed that the two were shot after defying police orders to open the car doors.
The hearing was adjourned to June 26.