Kitui County boss Charity Ngilu was on Wednesday moved to tears as she testified in the murder case of her friend Martha Mwangangi, who was also the former Township Mayor.
Appearing before Justice Lillian Mutende, Ngilu who took the witness stand narrated her last moments with Martha.
Recounting how Martha met her death, Ngilu could not hold back her tears as she told the court about the events that led to her friend being killed.
The county boss mentioned that on the morning of December 16, 2016, Martha had joined her to help calm demonstrating traders whose kiosks had been demolished by the county government.
Ngilu mentioned: “I was with the former mayor when suddenly a county government truck plunged into the demonstrators outside the Kitui police station and crushed her to death. Martha and I were old friends and we had been called to defend the traders’ source of livelihood.”
However, the truck driver, Phillip Isika has since denied causing Martha’s death.
The governor said she missed death by a whisker after her aide pulled her out of harm’s way as the crowd scampered for safety.
In tears, Ngilu stated: “Martha was not lucky. The truck hit and flung her ahead before crushing her on the head and mid-section. She died instantly as pandemonium ensued at the scene.”
The governor described the former mayor as brave, warm-hearted, generous, a good listener and motherly, adding that her “untimely and brutal” death had left Kitui residents shocked and devastated.
On cross-examination by Mr Kithome, Ngilu said she did not see the driver before or after the incident, but she saw the truck speed away from the scene.
Justice Mutende adjourned the hearing to July 31.
Advocates Daniel Kithome and Katunga Mbuvi represented the accused and Martha’s family, respectively, while the prosecution was led by Vincent Mamba.
