The family of the late blogger Maureen Gathigia Kinyua has formally petitioned the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), seeking a renewed investigation into her 2019 death, which they argue was wrongly classified as a road accident.
In a letter dated March 19, 2026, the family’s lawyers presented six grounds supporting their claim that Maureen’s death may have been a premeditated killing disguised as a boda boda crash in the Mataga area.
Her father, James Kinyua Macharia, engaged legal representation to compile witness statements and physical evidence that they say contradict the official accident narrative.
According to the petition, Maureen was allegedly lured to Mataga by a female friend linked to a senior political figure from the Mount Kenya region. She remained in the area until after 6 pm, when the friend reportedly directed a boda boda rider — her brother — on where to drop Maureen.
The rider vanished from the scene shortly afterward and only reappeared when summoned by local authorities, a detail the family sees as evidence of pre-coordination.
The family also highlighted anomalies with the motorcycle involved, noting it showed no dents or visible damage.
“At the scene, the purported motorcycle did not have a dent to suggest that there was an accident, and the deceased had a penetration wound on the forehead,” the letter states.
Concerns were further raised that Maureen’s injuries were not properly documented in the official autopsy report.
Additional suspicions arise from reports that a relative of the senior political figure briefly appeared at the scene after the incident and that Maureen’s mobile phone went missing, potentially containing messages or call logs that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding her death.
Nearly seven years on, the case has resurfaced, with the family expressing frustration over delays and urging the ODPP to act decisively.
The matter has also attracted political attention, as former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua faces renewed allegations linked to the case, a controversy intensified after President William Ruto, during a March 17 development tour in Busia County, publicly accused Gachagua of involvement.
Gachagua has denied any role, maintaining that Maureen’s death near Sagana Catholic Church on May 24, 2019, was a tragic accident treated at the time as a hit-and-run.
The family’s legal team, however, is pushing for the death to be treated as a potential homicide, calling for a fresh investigation, re-examination of the autopsy, and forensic review of evidence from the original scene.
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