Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Murdered Careen Chepchumba could have been living with a man, inquest told


Ms Careen Chepchumba, the Kenya power employee who died mysteriously four years ago, could have been living with a man in her apartment before she was murdered, an inquest into her death was told on Friday.

Her neighbour’s house help testified that she once saw a man sitting on the balcony of her apartment months before she met her death.

However, Ms Linet Kavungwi Kadanya said she did not know the man or his looks.

“Sometimes back in December 2011, I saw a man at the balcony of the deceased. Since then I never saw any man or even a woman entering the house. I could meet her at the stairs while reporting on duty and she could greet me,” she stated.

Linet Kavungwi Kadanya, a cleaner, testifies on July 15, 2016 at the inquest probing the death of Careen Chpechumba . PHOTO | BENSON MATHEKA
Linet Kavungwi Kadanya, a cleaner, testifies on July 15, 2016 at the inquest probing the death of Careen Chpechumba . PHOTO | BENSON MATHEKA

BORROWING SPREE

It also emerged that the late Careen continued with her borrowing spree a day after a family meeting resolved to bail her out from debts she allegedly incurred.

A family friend, Mr Aggrey Kipkoeh Keter, told the inquest that she had borrowed Sh80, 000 from him.

He was to give her the money on February 13 2012, a day before she met her death.

Witnesses who testified earlier, said her parents and family friends had met on February 12 2012,  and resolved to assist her pay her debts.

Careen was also to sue former television personality Louis Otieno in a bid to recover the money she claimed he extorted from her.

“On Monday February 13, while on my way to work between 8.00 am and 9.00 am, she wrote me a SMS with the word’ HOAX’. Since I was driving, I could not reply and when I reached work I wrote an SMS back to her and told her I would make up. I later called her and she sounded asleep. I told her to call me back when she woke up and she agreed. It was between 8.00am and 9.00 am,” Mr Keter, a banker stated.

The witness said the following day Tuesday morning he called her to confirm why she did not call.

PASSED ON

“One of her phones was off and the other was not answered. A few hours later my wife called me to give me the sad news that she had passed on,” he said.

He said he was a longtime friend of Careen’s father Mr Hosea Kili, who works with his wife.

In his testimony, Mr Kili claimed that her daughter borrowed heavily from family members and friends to finance Mr Otieno’s flashy lifestyle including paying rent, medical bills and school fees for his children.

Multiple witnesses told the inquest that Careen had incurred Sh3 million in debts.

Mr Otieno denied extorting money from Careen and accused her father of abusing her sexually.

Ms Careen was found dead on her bead at her Santonia court apartment, Kilimani, Nairobi on February 14 2012.

The inquest was adjourned to July 19 when four more witnesses are expected to testify.