BY SAM ALFAN.
Former CMC Holdings Chairman Joel Kibe denied responsibility for the accident that claimed the life of a night watchman at Nairobi’s upmarket Runda Estate on February 2, last year.
He testified before the Milimani Principal Magistrate Benson Nzyako there were no road signs warning motorists about bumps and barriers in the expansive surburb thereby exposing to danger the guards hired by the Runda Residents Association.
The businessman recalled he was driving his Range Rover vehicle behind a white car along UN Avenue in Gigiri and was forced to swerve into a make-shift plastic sentry-box to avoid hitting the metal barrier that was manually operated by the guards.
He said he had slowed down to let the vehicle ahead of him to pass but did not realize that two guards were in the sentry box. One of the guards, Charles Wachira, sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Kiambu District Hospital.
Kibe, who is out on Sh100,000 cash bail, explained he had offered to assist the two accident victims but a group of people who came to the scene insisted on calling the police first. He was arrested and locked up at the Gigiri police station.
He said the accident was unfortunate since the Nairobi County Assembly had unanimously debated and recommended the removal of the road bumps and barriers, including the levying of illegal fees, on July 3, 2014. Further, the association had not executed any contract with the security firm to provide services on the unlawful road blocks, he claimed.
Kibe was placed on his defence after the prosecution called 12 witnesses in the three-count indictment for causing death by dangerous driving, careless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. He has denied the charges.
The magistrate directed the parties to file their formal closing submissions by case by April 5.
