Former chief justice Evans Gicheru hugs his wife as they boarded a KWS
helicopter from Aberdare Country Club in Nyeri county to Nairobi
hospital on January 3, 2013. He spent a night in the cold after he
disappeared in the forest on Thursday evening prompting a night search
by over 200 security personel. Photo/ CORRESPONDENT
Just where was former Chief Justice Evan
Gicheru for 12 hours after he was booked in a hotel next to a
wildlife-infested forest two days ago?
The former head
of the Judiciary’s whereabouts were the nightmare that the Aberdare
Country Club hotel management and security team in Nyeri County had to
grapple with on Thursday night.
But they were evidently relieved after finding him yesterday morning.
Justice
Gicheru, 69, is said to have gone for a stroll in the 1,200-acre
grounds but did not return to rejoin his family members for supper,
sparking a massive and frantic search.
A deeply religious man, could he have taken some time off to reflect on something?
In
a shocking security lapse, the former CJ got lost during a lone walk
out of the hotel and was found at a path three kilometres away.
He was dazed when the search team found him.
The search team was made up of more than 200 security officers and sniffer dogs.
Justice Gicheru was dressed in a suit and a tie when he was flown to Nairobi.
He
still appeared groggy but was able to walk himself down the steps and
medics who were at hand placed him on a stretcher before he was driven
in an ambulance to the main hospital where he was admitted.
PRESS BARRED
Central
region director of police operations, Ephantus Kiura, said the former
CJ was treated by doctors from Outspan Medical Hospital before he was
airlifted to Nairobi Hospital for further check-up.
“He was found in the morning safe,” Mr Kiura said.
He
was airlifted in a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) chopper and landed at
the hospital grounds at around 11am accompanied by his wife Margaret.
His
arrival at the hospital was filmed by an NTV cameraman, but on
realising that journalists had captured the events on tape, a security
man had the recordings deleted after briefly detaining the cameraman.
In
Nyeri, journalists were barred from entering the Aberdare Country Club
as the search went on but were later briefed by hotel security and
police.
Sources privy to the search told the Saturday Nation that Mr Gicheru booked into the hotel on New Year’s Day at around 3pm.
After
having tea with his wife later in the evening, he took a walk moments
after his wife had excused herself to go and fetch spare keys to their
hotel room.
On returning, she tried to signal him to stop but he kept walking.
After
he failed to return by 6pm, she informed the hotel manager, Mr Richard
Soames, who later reported the matter to the police and the search
began.
Justice Gicheru is said to have arrived at the
club without bodyguards but two of his sons and a daughter arrived with a
bodyguard at around 9.30pm after receiving news of the former CJ’s
disappearance.
MISSING SHOES
Mr
Kiura said the former CJ did not have a mobile phone and added that the
police had been informed that he suffered from memory lapse.
“We
found Mr Gicheru lying by the side of a road and he looked tired. He
could not recall what had happened,” the police officer said.
Sources told the Saturday Nation that Justice Gicheru was dressed in a blue track suit and he had no shoes when he was found.
Who
took away his shoes during the time he was in the forest? This and
other questions remained unanswered by the time of going to press.
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