KILONZO MUTULA: MYSTERIOUS DEATH?

Speculation had been rife that the late Senator for Makueni, Mutula Kilonzo had died from poisoning, snake bite, irradiation or other causes unknown. Now the police have announced that he died of ‘natural causes’.

According to media reports, pills found beside the late Senator’s bed where he was found dead on April 27, were Liptor, an anticoagulant drug used to treat high blood pressure. Police have said Kilonzo had been treated for a blood clot on the brain and was also being treated for tuberculosis (TB) at the time of his death.

So no mystery then, even if for unfathomable reasons the official results of the autopsy conducted by no less than seven pathologists may not be ready for up to 10 weeks.

Or is there still a truly Kenyan mystery here? Being treated for TB? Or was that HIV/Aids? Couldn’t be: we all know no one officially dies of HIV/Aids in Kenya.

FUNDRAISING FOR MUTULA’S FUNERAL

The social media (less so the traditional press) has been alive we chatter as to why the family of a man as rich as Mutula Kilonzo, reputedly a billionaire, would require a fundraising exercise to pay for the funeral. Kilonzo was a man who was said to spend up to Sh700,000 per month feeding lions and cheetahs on his 1,500 acre ranch in Maazoni. In less than one hour, however, organizers for his funeral raised Sh13,250,000.

THE MURDER OF ALEXANDER MONSON

Back to the subject of mysterious deaths and autopsies. It doesn’t really matter if an autopsy is undertaken if the results are simply ignored.

One year ago the ‘British aristocrat’, as the 28 year-old Alexander Monson is invariably referred to in the Kenyan press, died after spending nine hours in police custody at Diani, Kwale (See, ‘British family wants justice for son’s death’, The Star)

A CID report said that Alexander Monson died as a result of increased pressure in his skull following a blow to the head. Two post mortems also concluded that he died from a massive blood clot on the brain resulting from a “blunt trauma” to his head.

A report compiled by CID investigation director Mohammed Amin and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, said however that the local police had no knowledge as to how Mr Monson died.

Eye witness testimony at the time showed that Alexander Monson went into custody without a blow to his head. He came out of it nine hours later and died shortly afterwards in hospital.

PRESIDENT KENYATTA MEETS PM CAMERON

President Uhuru Kenyatta, only weeks after a British diplomat warned that voting for him could have its consequences (not that they were interfering in Kenya’s internal politics of course) has met, at his invitation, with the UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron in London.

PM Cameron spoke of the mutually beneficial relationship between Kenya and the UK. President Kenyatta ‘applauded the fraternal relations between the two countries’. How nice. (See, ‘Uhuru holds talks with UK premier’, Daily Nation)

Kenya is a large, strategically important and rapidly developing country. There will be no embargoes or major breakdown in diplomatic relations. And expect the British High Commissioner in Nairobi to be heading on his way to pastures new before long.

THE ICC AND THE MAU MAU

ICC judges have postponed the trial of Deputy President William Ruto which had been due to start at the end of this month. A ‘status conference’ will now be held on May 14 in The Hague and a new date (possibly) set for the trial. At the conference ICC Chief Prosecutor will be asked why she wants to add five more witnesses to her case against Ruto.

Meanwhile the British government is trying to get an out-of-court agreement with Mau Mau veterans who last year won a case in the High Court seeking reparations. The Brits are said to be offering an public apology and Sh1.2 billion to pay for a monument for those who died.

The Kenya Forum suspects that for different reasons, the British government would now like both the ICC case against Kenyatta and Ruto, and the Mau Mau case, to go away as quickly and silently as possible.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON TO RETIRE

More news, or rather ‘strong rumours’ as the BBC has put it, emanating from the UK. Several major newspapers hailing from London, and the BBC, are reporting that Manchester United’s manager of 26 years standing, Sir Alex Ferguson, is about to retire.

The 71 year-old hugely successful boss of United is not normally thought of as a retiring sort of man, in more ways than one, but according to media reports players and coaches were told on Tuesday to expect a major announcement at the clubs final home match of the season against Swansea this Saturday.

With the rumour mill in full motion confirmation or otherwise of Sir Alex’s position will probably have to be brought forward. Manchester United is not a privately owned football club having been floated on the New York Stock Exchange last year. So, under NYSE rules a rumour that could damage investor confidence will have to be addressed sooner rather than later.

[Breaking news: as the Kenya Forum went to post news just out that Sir Alex Ferguson has announced his retirement]

WILLY MUTUNGA’S TROUBLE AND STRIFE

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga’s ex-wife, Prof. Beverly Michelle Lax, has gone back to court to try and compel her former husband to cough up Sh150,000 a month to cover her utility bills and medical cover.

When their divorce was granted the court ordered wily Willy to pay maintenance to his ex-wife until she Prof Beverly Michelle Lax got a job, or for six months, whichever came first.

Prof Lax admits that her former husband had paid maintenance up to the end of the end of January.Now however, she wants him to continue payments until an appeal she has filed over a matrimonial property case has been heard and decided, citing also that she has medical problems and is jobless.

Poor old Willy Mutunga. He must know that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just as he is surely learning of late that something similar is true of former political allies who feel scorned since he presided over the decision to confirm Kenyatta and Ruto’s win in the election. Regarding the latter, expect much more scorn to follow.

Related Kenya Forum posting: ‘Chief Justice Willy Mutunga: divorce and other women troubles’, 10 August, 2012