Kenya: Wife Caught Wanjiru in Bed With Woman

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

17 May 2011

POLICE were last night about to retract their initial statement that the death of Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru was suicide. They are now likely to say his death was accidental.

Wanjiru, 24, plunged to his death from the first-floor balcony of his home in Nyahururu on Sunday night after his wife found him in bed with another woman. Police spokesman Erick Kiraithe and Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere initially said that Wanjiru had committed suicide.

However local police boss Jasper Ombati said that Wanjiru’s wife, Triza Njeri, surprised the couple when she came home late on Sunday, locked them in the bedroom and ran outside. “In a rage, Samuel Kamau Wanjiru jumped from the first floor of the house and he was badly injured. When he was rushed to the hospital, the doctors tried to resuscitate him but unfortunately he passed on,” said Ombati. Relatives and friends also denied it was suicide.

His athletics agent Federico Rosa told the BBC that he was ‘”100 per cent sure” that Wanjiru did not commit suicide” He said Wanjiru had been to his house on Sunday afternoon and “asked to borrow my car. He was supposed to be back early this morning. For sure there was nothing to do with suicide. It was just a terrible accident that happened,” BBC reported.

Within hours of his death, a 25 year old woman claiming to be Wanjiru’s wife said she was with him a few hours before his death and dismissed suggestions that he had committed suicide.

Judy Wambui, reportedly five months pregnant with Wanjiru’s baby, claimed the athlete had even planned to visit her parent’s home later this year to start dowry negotiations.

She said Wanjiru visited her home at White House estate in Nakuru at 7 pm on Sunday on his way to Nyahururu. Wanjiru had been at Eldoret for a month long training camp.

She learnt of his death at 3 am yesterday through a call from Wanjiru’s cousin. “He was looking forward to our baby. We had made such grand plans including buying a house for me and the baby; setting up a business…. We had even visited an insurance company to start a premium for our unborn child and we were given an appointment. It is so sad that he has gone before the arrival of our child,” said a tearful Wambui.

Wanjiru had earlier been drinking with friends at Terse Bar in Nakuru. He left Wambui’s house at 9 pm and drove to Nyahururu and continued drinking with friends at Kawa Falls hotel. He there met Jane Nduta Wanjiku before going to Gimrock hotel where they were joined by other friends who said Wanjiru was his usual jovial self and generously bought them drinks.

Wanjiru and Wanjiku left Gimrock for his Muthaiga home in Nyahururu at about 11 pm. Triza arrived soon afterwards and found the two in their bedroom leading to a loud commotion.

Triza reportedly locked her husband and his lover in the bedroom and ran out. According to the police, Wanjiru then jumped from the balcony and sustained serious injuries.

Yesterday Triza and Wanjiku were questioned by the police and recorded statements before being released. A huge crowd went to the morgue to view the body even as Triza and her mother in law Anne Wanjiru tussled over whether the body should be taken to the Lee Funeral Home rather than the district hospital.

Triza initially resisted the suggestion saying she would only allow it if Anne gave her some of her husband’s documents such as his identity card. Wanjiru had a net worth of at least Sh100 million invested in real estate in Nairobi, Nakuru and Nyahururu.

Wanjiru won a gold medal and set an Olympic record of 2:06:32 in the heat and humidity of Beijing, a performance considered to be one of the greatest marathon runs of all time. It made him the first Kenyan Olympic marathon champion and the youngest winner of the Olympic marathon since 1932.

However in recent years his life outside the sport made headlines. Last December he was charged with threatening to kill his wife Triza and beating up his watchman who attempted to intervene. He was also found with an unlicensed AK47 rifle.

At the time, Triza said she was considering divorcing the athlete and was concerned about their safety of their six year old daughter and two year old son.

Triza eventually withdrew the charges claiming they had reconciled. The couple then had a much publicised Valentine day celebration to mark their reconciliation. Wanjiru was due to appear before court on May 23 on the charge of illegal possession of a firearm.

In January this year, Wanjiru was involved in a traffic accident when he swerved to avoid an oncoming lorry. Adored by his fans for his athletic prowess, Wanjiru was described by some colleagues as “arrogant, proud and a show-off.”

They cited several incidents where Wanjiru pulled out his gun to intimidate people. Once, Wanjiru shot in the air to frighten a church leader when their vehicles collided along the Nyahururu-Nairobi road.

In another incident, Wanjiru shot several times at a drinking joint when he and a local businessman disagreed over a woman. The athlete fled with the girl. Patrons at joints he frequented in Nyahururu said Wanjiru could spend thousands of shillings buying people drinks. International athletes and politicians yesterday sent messages of condolence to the family.

Ethiopian Haile Gebreselassie, the world marathon record holder, said he was “totally shocked.” Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka urged Kenya’s sports management institutions to prepare sports stars to handle fame and fortune gracefully. “As an athletics nation, we looked forward to a sterling performance in the Olympic Games in London next year. Mr Wanjiru was one of our sure bets for gold in the upcoming contest. His death is therefore a big blow to our dreams,” Prime Minister Raila Odinga said.

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