Kabogo: I was not involved in Mercy Keino’s death, it’s a tragic situation

Information and Communication Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has refuted any involvement in the death of Mercy Keino, a University of Nairobi student whose body was found under mysterious circumstances in 2011.

Despite Kabogo being cleared of direct involvement, Keino’s parents, Joseph and Christine Keino, maintained that he is "morally responsible" for their daughter’s tragic demise.

Mercy, a master’s student in journalism, attended a party where Kabogo was present before her death. On June 17, 2011, she was discovered by passers-by along Waiyaki Way, near St Mark’s Church in Westlands, Nairobi.

Initially, her death was reported as a fatal traffic accident at Parklands Police Station.

Speaking during his vetting, Kabogo responded to allegations about his involvement, saying he had nothing to do with the case.

"It is alleged that I had invited people to a party. That is not true. It was a public place, a restaurant, with several groups of people there. The death of Mercy Keino came to my attention two weeks after she had been buried. Even if I had met her the following day, I wouldn't have recognised her. It’s a tragic story, and a Kenyan life was lost, but I had no involvement,” he said.

Kabogo also recalled his participation in the legal proceedings, which took place at the Milimani Magistrates Court.

“I was governor at the time, but I willingly sat for six days of cross-examination,” he said.

"The inquest, which took over a year and a half, concluded that Keino’s death was due to a hit-and-run by a truck, not by anyone at the restaurant."

Kabogo expressed his condolences to Mercy Keino's family, adding, "I sympathise with the family. May her soul rest in peace."

He also conveyed his hope that justice would eventually prevail. "I believe that one day, the truck driver or whoever was in the truck that killed Mercy Keino will come forward and admit what they did,” he said.

In May 2024, Kabogo was cleared of any wrongdoing in the inquest into Keino’s death. Magistrate Peter Ndwiga, who previously handled the case at Milimani Law Courts, stated that there was no evidence linking Kabogo to the incident.

The inquest, ordered by the Director of Public Prosecutions after police failed to identify suspects, ultimately concluded that the death was a hit-and-run.

Kabogo has continued to deny any wrongdoing, attributing his involvement in the case to political rivals seeking to tarnish his reputation.