Laikipia DCI boss dispels rumours on Gichugu Returning Officer’s death

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 23 Aug, 2022 11:52 | 2 mins read
Gichugu Returning Officer's's death
Laikipia DCIO Onesmus Towett speaking to the members of the press at his Nanyuki office.PHOTO/Ndiritu Wanjiru

Police in Laikipia County have dispelled rumours circulating on social media regarding the death of Gichugu Returning Officer Geoffrey Gitobu.

Speaking to members of the press on Tuesday, August 23, Laikipia County DCI boss Onesmus Towett dismissed claims that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) official was murdered.

Geoffrey Gitobu, the late Returning officer for Gichugu constituency in Kirinyaga County. PHOTO/Courtesy
Geoffrey Gitobu, the late Returning officer for Gichugu constituency in Kirinyaga County. PHOTO/Courtesy

Towett said Gitobu died a sudden death and an inquiry has been launched into the matter.

He urged members of the public not to politicize the matter and wait for the police to conclude their investigations.

A postmortem exercise has been slated for Wednesday, August 24, to determine Gitobu's cause of death.

"The postmortem will be conducted tomorrow at 9:00 am to establish his cause of death. Let the politicians and everyone who is saying that someone has been murdered stop such talks because they don't have evidence. We have opened an inquiry and will tell the world what happened," Towett stated.

Gichugu RO collapses dies

Gitobu is said to have collapsed and died on Monday, August 22 outside IEBC offices in Nanyuki, Laikipia County.

Gitobu served as the Returning Officer for Gichugu constituency in the just concluded August 9 general election.

At the time of his sudden death, he had taken a three-day off from his workplace in Kirinyaga County to visit his family in Nanyuki.

The officer visited IEBC offices in Nanyuki to print some documents on Monday.

As he waited to be attended to, he collapsed outside the electoral body's offices and was rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.