Why ‘drunk’ city billionaire missed date in court for killing guard with SUV
Nairobi tycoon Joel Kamau Kibe, who allegedly knocked down two security guards killing one on the spot, did not appear in court on Wednesday as was expected.
His appearance in court aborted after he was allowed to seek medical care for a few days, according to his lawyer, Cliff Ombeta.
Mr Ombeta said his client had fractured two ribs in the accident in the upmarket Runda Estate that badly damaged the white Range Rover Vogue he has been driving since 2012 when he was appointed the chairman of motor dealer CMC Holdings.
The businessman later relinquished the chairmanship and remained a director of the company after it was taken over by Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group.
Mr Kibe is not new to controversy and the latest case is expected to put his pocketbook and political network to test.
NOT FIRST TIME
It is not the first time Mr Kibe has been involved in a road accident having crashed his Toyota Lexus along Kiambu Road in July 2007, causing it to be written off.
The vehicle had been comprehensively insured for Sh6.6 million.
In Mr Ombeta, the businessman has a skilled lawyer who has specialised in high profile criminal cases, including that of the controversial Mombasa-based Akasha family.
While the decision ultimately lies with the courts, Mr Kibe’s comments moments after the accident have drawn public opprobrium.
The businessman’s latest involvement in an accident, though tragic, would perhaps have passed quietly had it not been for the video footage that captured him speaking at the scene.
Mr Kibe is shown in the video making comments in Kiswahili to the effect that his car had been damaged and so everyone involved had suffered.
Many viewers of the footage wondered in social media whether the businessman made the remarks with the full knowledge of what had transpired.
NOT IN FULL CONTROL
A friend of Mr Kibe’s, who did not want to be quoted, said he was probably not in full control of his senses in the wake of what had happened.
Mr Kibe was heading to his home in Runda Estate where he has lived for many years.
The youthful businessman, in his early 40s, is said to be a billionaire in his own right removing money from the list of challenges he faces.
He and his business associate, Paul Wanderi Ndung’u, pocketed a combined Sh1.7 billion from the sale of CMC to Al-Futtaim alone.
SOURCE: Business Daily
