Former personal assistant to slain former Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno, Bernad Ngeno, has demanded a comprehensive investigation into fresh claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua regarding the circumstances surrounding the politician’s death.
Ngeno said Gachagua’s allegations about the fatal helicopter crash could not simply be dismissed, arguing that the former Deputy President’s position meant his claims carried significant weight and required an official response.
“What Gachagua is saying about the death of Ngong Ngeno Ole Kisiara is not a mere information that can be ignored. Rigathi isn't a common citizen who can just spit words of such magnitude without sufficient information,” Ngeno said.
Gachagua on Tuesday, August 11, alleged that the helicopter carrying Ng’eno had been refuelled with adulterated jet fuel at Eldoret Airstrip shortly before the fatal crash.
He further claimed that a vehicle suspected of transporting the fuel had been intercepted by KRA officials and police officers at the airstrip, but that the driver was later released following alleged instructions from Nairobi.
Gachagua questioned whether the alleged fuel contamination could have contributed to the helicopter’s inability to gain sufficient altitude before crashing.
The allegations have since reopened questions surrounding the circumstances of Ng’eno’s death, with Ngeno insisting that the government must establish whether Gachagua’s claims are factual.
“We need the government to pursue this information to the later,” Ngeno said, calling for authorities to investigate the allegations and provide a definitive account of what happened.
Ngeno said that if the allegations are substantiated, Kenyans should be told who was responsible for the circumstances that led to Ng’eno’s death.
“If it's true, then we be told who KILLED Ngeno,” he stated.
However, Ng’eno’s former aide also warned against turning the former MP’s death into a political contest, saying serious allegations surrounding the death of a public figure must be supported by evidence.
“If it's not, then let Gachagua learn his lessons. Words of this magnitude about the death of a prominent person can't be used for cheap political scores,” Ngeno said.
He challenged the government to either provide evidence disproving Gachagua’s claims or ensure that the former Deputy President substantiates them through the appropriate legal channels.
“I call on the government of Kenya to prove this information wrong or let Gachagua prove them right in court. Without this, the public will have its own verdict!” he said.
Ngeno maintained that questions surrounding Ng’eno’s death had never been fully settled among those who knew him, arguing that the latest allegations had only heightened the need for transparency.
“As a people, we have never come to terms with how it happened,” he said.