Murder-suicide theory in X-Trail drowning incident

Inside the black Nissan X-Trail that was fished from the Titanic Dam in Kimbo area, Kiambu County, there are two items: An empty beer bottle and a cheque book.

If the items belonged to Tirus Maina Gikonyo, the man who perished alongside an unknown female companion on Tuesday evening, then they symbolise the mixture of business and pleasure that defined the 38-year-old’s last moments on earth.

The beer bottle is empty; The cheque book is soaked in water. Locals say the couple was canoodling on the dam-beach before the car (in) advertently went into the 29ft-deep dam. In the end, only the beer bottle was left dry.

Former British PM and author Winston Churchill once said: “I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” In Tirus’ case, alcohol – and carnal pleasure – took everything.

His body was recovered on Wednesday noon -naked as the day he was born- while that of his female companion had been retrieved on Tuesday evening, when the X-Trail is said to have gone into the dam.

At the scene where the car had been parked as the two whispered into each other’s ears, there’s a plus-size bra, purplish in colour. Kevin Kiragu, one of the locals, suggests it belonged to Maina’s paramour.

More than meets the eye

“I am telling you, there is more to this incident than meets the eye,” adds Kiragu. “There’s absolutely no way that car would’ve gone into the dam with the driver unaware.”

The couple drove into the park which is about four kilometres from Thika Road and along a rocky path off the road to Kiganjo and parked next to other fun seekers.

The X-Trail was on the eastern-most side of the parking area, next to a brick wall. There were two large rocks at the spot where the water kisses the bank.

“It would have been impossible for the car to go through the rocks just on its own,” a police officer who is privy to the investigation confirmed to TV47 Digital. “All evidence points to the fact that the car was driven into the water deliberately.”

Honking and Screaming

On the evening of the incident -8:30pm, Tuesday-, the revellers in other cars parked next to Maina’s started honking and screaming when they saw the X-Trail heading for the water. There was nary a word from inside the tinted cabin of the black X-Trail.

“Another thing, the deep part of the dam starts over there….about 15 metres away,” adds Kiragu, pointing. “Obviously, if it was an accident, the vehicle would’ve stopped.”

Preliminary investigations point to the possibility that the couple had an accident and Maina deliberately accelerated into the deep dam.

'Tipsy' says the the woman in a bid to save her life wriggled herself out of the sinking car and attempted to swim to shore.

Overwhelmed by water, poor visibility

But she was overwhelmed by the cold water and the darkness: It was about 9pm. Her body, floating, was found about 30 metres away.

The woman, whose body is at City Mortuary, Nairobi, is yet to be identified. 

Juja OCPD Phylis Muthoni has called on members of the public to help identify the mysterious woman. 

Yesterday, Maina's widow Margaret Kiiru was still trying to come to terms with her sudden loss. 

She said her husband had left home on Monday for his usual errands as a dealer in engineering machinery.

He later called her at home in Makongeni, Thika, and informed her he would pass by Juja for some business meeting before heading home. It was the last time he spoke to her.

Margaret later received a call from a friend and was asked to go to Mugutha Police Station in Kimbo. She positively identified her husband's car and later, the body. 

On the mysterious woman: “Although I do not know her, I believe the woman who was with my husband that night was a friend, he had so many friends because of the nature of his business,” she said.