Today in History; Mercy Keino Found Murdered at Waiyaki Way

On June 17, 2011, a University of Nairobi Student, Mercy Keino, passed away in the wee hours of the night after her body was found on Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.

Before Mercy met her death, that night she had spent time with her cousin, who was invited by a friend to Wasini Luxury Homes, where she was attending a party.

At the party, there were several notable people, including ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, who was serving as the Member of Parliament for Juja at the time.

According to the then police boss, Mathew Iteere, he reported that police reports and witnesses who attended the party stated that Mercy had consumed alcohol and become intoxicated, leading to disruptive behaviour.

“Witnesses at the party said Ms. Keino took a lot of wine and whisky, resulting in her shouting at everybody and breaking glasses. Twice she was thrown out of the venue,” Iteere said.

Mercy Keino Found Murdered

The manager of the property where Keino and others had partied said that viewing CCTV footage showed her breaking glasses and acting unruly, prompting security personnel to intervene.

Iteere also mentioned that Keino left the party, according to reports from her cousin, who had accompanied her past midnight, despite her cousin’s attempts to stop her.

According to a police report, a motorist said that she saw Mercy while on the road while he was heading to another destination.

Also Read: Kabogo Addresses Involvement In Mercy Keino’s Murder

The motorist said that around 2:30 a.m., he saw a woman matching Mercy’s description running toward oncoming traffic on Waiyaki Way, waving for help. He swerved to avoid her but did not stop. When he returned around 3:00 a.m., he noticed a body on the road, later identified as Mercy’s.

Her body was found in a gruesome state, with broken limbs, a smashed head, missing skull fragments, and exposed intestines.

Police had first approached the case as a potential hit-and-run incident, given that Mercy’s remains were discovered on the busy highway. A green Mercedes-Benz came under investigation after a witness reported seeing a body being thrown from it, but no proof connected the car to her demise.

Kabogo Clears Air on UON Student

During a court case in 2012, Police Constable Thomas Obogi, one of the first officers at the scene, ruled out a hit-and-run accident. He noted the absence of blood and concluded that Mercy Keino was likely killed elsewhere and her body was dumped to simulate an accident.

Later on, the then Juja MP, William Kabogo, who was implicated in Mercy Keino’s death along with five others, was cleared in an inquest. On October 7, 2016, the trial magistrate, Peter Ndwiga, stated in his ruling that there was no evidence linking the governor and the five others to Keino’s death.

Also Read: Today in History: Lucy Kibaki Storms Nation Centre, Slaps Journalist

The question of Mercy Keino’s death resurfaced during Kabogo’s vetting on January 15, 2025, when he was questioned about his involvement in her death by a parliamentary committee. Kabogo denied the claims, stating he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also denied knowing Mercy Keino personally.

“The honourable member has said that it is alleged I invited people to a party. Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify that this is not true. It is just a situation where you find yourself in a place at the wrong time,” stated Kabogo.

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