Identity of X-Trail driver in Juja drowning incident revealed

The identity of the driver of the Nissan X-Trail which plunged into a dam in Kimbo area of Kiambu County on Tuesday night has been revealed.

Confidential police sources intimated to TV47 Digital that the driver was Tirus Maina Gikonyo aged 38.

“The deceased was positively identified by his brother Michael Mbuuri Gikonyo as Tirus Maina Gikonyo of ID No..23*******,” said the police source who requested for anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the press. "He is a resident of Makongeni, Thika."

Maina died on Tuesday night when the black SUV Registration KCM 033C plunged into the dam locally christened 'Titanic.' 

A check on motor vehicle records at National Transport and safety Authority reveals that the car is registered in the name of Magari Africa Limited.

The deceased was accompanied by a lady who also perished in the incident. Her body was retrieved from the dam on Tuesday night while that of the man was found by divers when the car was towed from the dam yesterday.

The car is currently as Mugutha Police Station. 

Park N’ Chill Hedonism

The site where the incident happened is popular with young people. Popularly known as ‘Park N’ Chill’, it attracts those with a hedonistic bone -and a car- to, well, park and chill.

But they do much more, as Kevin Wanjohi aka ‘Tipsy’ one of the park's unofficial keepers told TV47 Digital.

“Booze,” he says, pointing at a heap of empty bottles at one part of the park. “Music and illicit sex. There can be about 50 to 100 cars here on weekends.” 

He took us to the spot where the X-Trail was parked, at the eastern-most corner of the park, next to a brick wall, nose pointing towards the dam.

There’s a plus-size purplish brassiere at the spot. “It belonged to the lady,” Tipsy asserts.

“At the foot of the dam, there,” he says pointing, “were two large rocks where some people would sit, chat. The car barged its way through them, suggesting perhaps there was something more than just accident." 

Following the incident, Murera Ward MCA Moses Ngatha has promised to move a motion in the Kiambu County Assembly to have all the dams in the County fenced. 

"This is not the first time people are dying in this dam, we need to do something," Ngatha said.

In 2019, the body of Mary Wambui Kori was retrieved from one of the dams in the Murera area. The investigations into her murder dominated headlines as it transpired that she may have been killed by a love rival and the body dumped inside the dam. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: More to follow......