Kenya: Wanjiru’s ‘Father’ Seeks to Halt Burial

Wanjiru Macharia

3 June 2011

Nairobi — A man claiming to be the biological father of marathoner Samuel Wanjiru wants the High Court to stop “his son’s” burial to allow him to conduct a paternity test.

Mr Elijah Chebon wants the court to allow him to extract samples from Wanjiru’s body for a DNA analysis to prove that he was his biological father.

Impossible to exhume

The High Court in Nakuru lifted the ban stopping the burial of the athlete on Thursday.

The man, through lawyer Job Kiplagat Kurgat, told Justice Anyara Emukule that should the remains of Wanjiru be buried, it would be impossible to exhume it for a DNA analysis.

He accused Wanjiru’s mother Hannah Wanjiru and wife Terezah Njeri of failing to involve him in the burial arrangements.

“The two are denying me the chance to exercise my fatherly responsibility over my late son,” Mr Chebon said, adding, it was important that the test be carried out to prove that he was Wanjiru’s father.

He told the court that after announcing in the media that he was the athlete’s father, Ms Njeri threatened to sue him for defamation if he did not withdraw the statement through the same medium.

“She even directed her lawyers to send me a demand notice which I have attached in my suit papers,” he told the court.

In his affidavit, Mr Chebon said Wanjiru’s mother, who is the first defendant, was sending threatening messages demanding that “he shut up or would know who ‘Wanjiru’ really is.”

He claimed that the athlete’s resemblance to his eldest son was indisputable.

“I have the right to be involved in the burial arrangements of my son and give him last respect since I was denied this chance while he was still alive,” Mr Chebon said.He claimed that he met Wanjiru’s mother in 1985 and kept contact till 1986 during which “we were involved in love affair that resulted into birth of our now deceased son; Samwel Kamau Wanjiru”.

He alleged that he had personally tried to get in touch with the marathoner through athletic meetings including Kieni marathon, Kikuyu marathon and the most recent one being the Ndakaini marathon but failed to get to him.

The court certified the application urgent and directed that he serves the defendants and the parties to report back to court on June 7 for hearing.

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