Prominent lawyer, Paul Gicheru and potential suspect before the International Criminal Court, has passed away.
On Monday night, Gicheru's body was discovered at his Karen residence. Police said he was found unresponsive at about 7 pm after eating a late lunch.
Gicheru turned himself in to the ICC on November 2, 2020, in accordance with an arrest warrant that the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber II had issued on March 10, 2015.
The Kenyan attorney was charged with crimes against the administration of justice for allegedly corruptly influencing court witnesses.
Gicheru isn't the only person to pass on after being a big player in the ICC post-election cases. Some other prominent big shots have died and had intimate knowledge of the ICC cases due to their official capacities( they knew a lot about the post election violence in 2007/8 that left 1,400 people dead)
They are below;
Kipkalya Kones and Lorna Laboso
The two; Kones who was the Roads minister and Bomet MP and Laboso who was assistant Home Affairs minister and MP for Sotik died in a plane crash on June 10, 2008 at Kojong`a area of Nairegi-Enkare in Narok North.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights identified Kones and Laboso as two of the main perpetrators of the post-election violence in the Rift Valley in its original report, "On the Brink of the Precipice."
The young Kalenjin men that attacked the Kikuyu and Kisii in Kericho were allegedly paid for by them.
John Michuki.
He died in February 2012 after a heart attack.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda informed the Pre-Trial Chamber in September 2011 during the confirmation hearings for the cases against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Civil Service head Francis Muthaura, and Police Commissioner Hussein Ali that top government officials met in early January 2008 at Michuki's office at Harambee House to plan Mungiki retaliatory attacks.
Joseph Maina Kang'ethe, aka Maina Diambo
He abruptly vanished in 2008, and it is believed that he is dead. The ICC prosecution identified him as the Mungiki leader who was present at the State House planning meeting for the Naivasha vengeance assaults.
George Saitoti
He died in June 2012 after a police helicopter crashed and burst into flames at Kibiku, Ngong forest.
Bensouda claimed during the pre-trial proceedings that in mid-January, government representatives met again to discuss retaliatory assaults in the office of the minister of internal security.
Saitoti was chosen in July 2009 to lead a special cabinet subcommittee charged with managing the ICC's operations in the nation. Mutula Kilonzo was an additional committee member from both parties.
Bernard Kimeli (Senior deputy police commissioner)
The former top cop was murdered by unknown people in April 2011 at his house in Muguga Greens estate in Westlands.
Kimeli oversaw the Kenya Police College in Kiganjo during the post-election violence in 2008, when meetings were allegedly conducted there to plan a response.
According to reports, he provided testimony to the Waki Commission, which looked into the post-election violence. His statement, which was delivered to the commission behind closed doors, may have been utilized as supporting evidence by ICC head prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
Mutula Kilonzo
The veteran lawyer was found dead in his Maanzoni home in April, 2013.
Mutula revealed to Parliament in June 2012 that he had received two death threats from unidentified people. He alleged that his decision to support the ICC proceedings led to his transfer from the Justice Ministry to the Ministry of Education.
George Thuo
He passed away in 2013 after collapsing at around 10 o'clock in the evening while enjoying drinks with friends at a club in Thika town.
He served as the government's main whip and a former Juja MP. President Uhuru Kenyatta was counting on Thuo to be a major witness for him at the ICC.
Thuo allegedly attended a meeting at the Blue Post Hotel in Thika on January 27, 2008, when retaliation strikes were allegedly planned for Naivasha and Nakuru. This was according to the ICC Chief Prosecutor.
Thuo was supposed to testify that all acts of violence were spontaneous and that Uhuru had nothing to do with the killings in Naivasha and Nakuru. The former MP had a history of denying wrongdoing.
I learned of my son's death on social media- Hilary Litali's dad