Politics or deal gone sour? Mystery deepens over Nairobi driver's murder

Police in Kasarani are investigating the murder of a Tuk Tuk driver last weekend although friends suspect it was linked to the charged political campaigns as the country edges closer to the August 9 elections.

Harun Mutua, 36, went missing on Sunday evening, only for his body to be found tied to the roof of his taxi in Rurii, Githurai 44, on Monday.

Police said preliminary investigations showed that Mutua may have died of strangulation.

“Preliminary investigations indicated that the victim may have been killed elsewhere and brought to the scene due to the absence of a struggle. Police visited the scene and noticed strangulation marks around the neck,” states the murder incident report at Kasarani Police Station.

Kasarani District Criminal Investigations Officer Vincent Kipkorir urged friends and relatives to be patient, saying investigations are ongoing.

“We’ve not made any arrests yet. We hope the post-mortem set for tomorrow (today) will offer clues to our investigations. We have a team working on the case; we will find the killers,” he said.

Some Tuk Tuk drivers plying the Githurai 44-45 route, however, told the Nation that they suspect politics played a role in Mutua’s death.

“He was not a criminal. There’s no issue of a deal gone sour with a criminal gang. I know him very well as a family man. The wife runs a small grocery store. Mutua was very good in mobilising people and he was in a team that was campaigning for a candidate in this area,” said a friend who sought anonymity.

“We were in the same camp. His political enemies may have felt threatened by his ability to mobilise supporters and decided to eliminate him,” he added.

The widow, Ms Judy Wangari, confirmed that her husband was heavily involved in political campaigns but he had not expressed fears for his life. “He was campaigning for one of the local candidates but all appeared okay. He did not mention anything wrong,” she said.

Ms Wangari said Mutua had spent Friday and Saturday with his three children at home before he left for work on Sunday morning.

“In the evening, I tried reaching him on phone but he wasn’t picking up his calls. I became impatient and called him several times without success. We went to Kasarani Police Station the next day to report his disappearance, only to be notified that a friend had recognised his body in Githurai 44,” she said.

She described Mutua as a hardworking man, who loved his family. He was not confrontational and had no known enemies, she added.

“Our first-born is five years old and the youngest is less than two. We have lost a breadwinner; our life won’t be the same again. I have been left with a young family to take care of. Why did they kill him?” she posed.

The body was taken to Kenyatta University Funeral Home and the family said he would be buried in Gilgil, Nakuru County.

[email protected]