Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Marathon star’s ‘widows’ united in mourning

Tragedy as Olympics hero plunges to death

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On September 5, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru (left) of Kenya shows his gold medal. Centre: His Nyahuru home. Right: His wife Trizah Njeri is consoled by a friend outside the town mortuary on May 16, 2011. Photos/JOSEPH KURIA and FILE
On September 5, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru (left) of Kenya shows his gold medal. Centre: His Nyahuru home. Right: His wife Trizah Njeri is consoled by a friend outside the town mortuary on May 16, 2011. Photos/JOSEPH KURIA and FILE
By DAVID MACHARIA dmacharia@ke.nationmedia.com and JAMES KARIUKI jkariuki@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, May 16 2011 at 22:30

World marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died in unclear circumstances on Monday amid sensational revelations about his troubled family life.
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Wanjiru, at only 24, was one of the world’s greatest marathon talents. He had won four top marathons — the London, New York and Chicago races as well as the Olympics in Beijing.
According to police accounts, Wanjiru leapt to his death from the first floor balcony of his Nyahururu home on Sunday night.
His wife, Triza Njeri had returned to Nyahururu unexpectedly and found him in bed with another woman, according to these accounts.
There was a quarrel and his wife locked the door from outside. Wanjiru, wanting to reach out to his wife, found the door locked and opted to jump down the balcony, police claimed.
Earlier in the day, police were generally unsuspicious and seemed satisfied that Wanjiru committed suicide.
But they later said they were making inquiries to establish whether he set out to kill himself by jumping.
Some of his friends and relatives said he was so troubled by his marriage, that he had sent an SMS threatening to kill himself.
But his coach, Dr Federico Rosa, said suicide was out of the question. He had spoken to him on Saturday and he was relaxed and happy and looking forward to races later in the year, the coach said.
Top security officers in Nyahururu Town, including Nyahururu DC Lucy Mulili, Nyandarua OCPD Jaspher Ombati and DCIO Isaac Onyango, met the family, led by the athlete’s mother, Ms Hanna Wanjiru.
Fellow athletes, some who visited the family, offered to pay some of the funeral expenses. They included world champions Janeth Jepkosgei and Gregory Konchella and marathoners Duncan Kibet and Matthew Kisorio.
Former world champion Charles Kamathi and other Nyahururu based athletes were also there. Wanjiru was a well-off athlete and had invested in property in Nakuru, Nyahururu and Nairobi.
Large crowd gathered
A large crowd gathered at the Nyahururu district mortuary, shocked by the sudden death of a local as well as international sports hero.
Wanjiru was facing a charge of illegal possession of a firearm, which was to be heard on May 23. His wife and watchman had withdrawn their complaints in an assault case against him and charges were dropped.
Police appeared to oscillate between suicide and accident. Mr Ombati’s theory was that Wanjiru’s death was accidental and occurred as he tried to “reach out to” his wife.
Njeri had arrived earlier from Nairobi and surprised her husband who had taken another wife to their home, he said. She let herself in using a spare key and words were exchanged.
Njeri, he said, locked a metal grill on the staircase leading to the bedrooms. “Wanjiru could not go out through the staircase. He opted to jump from the top floor balcony, but hit the concrete floor,” said the OCPD.
Mr Ombati said the runner sustained serious injuries and started bleeding from the mouth as frantic efforts were made to take him to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr Jacob Kanake and the regional CID boss, Mr Isaac Onyango, said doctors at the Nyahururu District Hospital tried to resuscitate him in vain.
 
 
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Triza Njeri (left), Ms Judy Wambui (centre) and international athlete Mary Wacera. Photos/WANJIRU MACHARIA and SULEIMAN MBATIAH
Triza Njeri (left), Ms Judy Wambui (centre) and international athlete Mary Wacera. Photos/WANJIRU MACHARIA and SULEIMAN MBATIAH
By DAVID MACHARIA dmacharia@ke.nationmedia.com and JAMES KARIUKI karuiki@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, May 16 2011 at 21:46

She added that Wanjiru had big plans for her and her unborn child and that they had been together with for five years.
“He told me to resign from my work as a receptionist two years ago and promised to establish a business for me after I deliver our child,” she added.
“It is unfortunate that he has gone before the arrival of a child that he promised to love unconditionally,” she lamented.
Ms Wambui said that Wanjiru visited her parents last December and agreed on how he was going to pay dowry.
The woman, who is due in September, said they had plans to wed at the District Commissioner’s office next December after visiting Wanjiru’s parents.
“He had also promised to buy me a home and move me out of my rented house before the arrival of our baby,” she added.
She described Wanjiru as a caring and loving husband who was humble.






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