Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary nominee William Kabogo has addressed allegations linking him to the death of University of Nairobi student Mercy Keino.

Speaking before the parliamentary vetting committee, Kabogo denied any involvement in the 2011 incident.

Kabogo asserted that he was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also stated that he did not know Mercy Keino personally.

“The honorable member has mentioned allegations that I had invited people to a party. Mr. Speaker, I want to categorically state that this is untrue.” Kabogo stated.

“This was simply a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kabogo explained.

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Did Kabogo Know Mercy Keino?

Kabogo recounted that he only became aware of Mercy Keino’s case two weeks after she had been laid to rest.

“The matter came to my attention two weeks after she was buried. Even if I had met her the day after the incident at the hotel, I would not have recognized her,” he said.

The former Kiambu Governor emphasized that an inquiry conducted in 2012 by the Milimani Magistrates’ Court had exonerated him and other individuals implicated in the case.

He noted that the court determined Mercy Keino’s death resulted from a hit-and-run accident involving a truck.

Mercy Keino Investigation

“Suffice to say, Mr. Speaker, an inquest was conducted in 2012 at the Milimani Magistrates’ Court, lasting about a year and a half. All persons of interest, including myself, were invited and cross-examined. I was cross-examined for six days and was cleared by the court,” Kabogo stated. 

“The court found that Mercy Keino was a victim of a hit-and-run accident, and the matter was concluded.”

He also expressed sympathy for Mercy Keino’s family, acknowledging the tragic nature of her death.

He referenced videos from the crime scene, reiterating his innocence while extending his condolences during his vetting at the National Assembly.

The clarification came in response to a question by Teso South MP Mary Emaase, who asked whether Kabogo considered himself fit for public office in light of the allegations.

In retrospect, Mercy Keino’s death on June 17, 2011, followed an alleged party that Kabogo was accused of organizing.

However, the court found no evidence linking him to her death, clearing him and his co-accused of any wrongdoing.

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