A Nairobi court has allowed three witnesses to testify in private in the death inquest of Keroche heiress Tecra Mungai.
The prosecution had applied to have the inquest heard behind closed doors, saying the security of the witnesses being at risk. The witnesses include Tecra’s friend and two nurses, all from Lamu.
“I have an application to have the matter heard in camera because the witnesses reside in Lamu and they are apprehensive that their security may be jeopadised if their names and pictures appear in media,” the prosecution counsel Peter Muia said.
Lawyer Elisha Ongoya representing the Keroche family agreed with the prosecution saying Lamu is a small community, where the witnesses come from and interact in the society.
Ongoya, however, noted that the application is limited to the three witnesses and not all witnesses in the case.
Milimani principal magistrate Zainab Abdul ruled that the prosecution’s concerns over the security of the witnesses was merited.
” I have considered the application by the prosecution and all parties to safeguard the witnesses. The concerns are merited,” magistrate Abdul said.
Six witnesses who rushed Tecra Mungai to hospital are expected to testify before the magistrate.
They are Qusai Lali Omar, Ali Bakari Muhammed, Abdul Lali Omar, Yaya Salim Muhammed, Ahemed Ali Sali, and Mohammed Omar Muhanji.
11 of 44 witnesses have since testified, including Tecra’s mother Tabitha Karanja, brother James Karanja, bodyguard Eric Bett Cheruiyot, and house help Anne Waithera.
Read: Omar Lali Threatened Tecra’s Bodyguard…and Cried After Keroche Heiress Kicked Him Out
