Gospel musician Ruth Matete grilled again over death of husband

Gospel artist Ruth Matete (left) and her Nigerian husband John Apewajowe during their past ordination at Christ Nation Church at Mountain Mall along Thika road. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Gospel musician Ruth Matete was on Tuesday questioned for the second time by police officers investigating the death of her husband John Apewajoye.

Ms Matete was summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters where she spent hours responding to questions.

The 2012 Tusker Project Fame star was in the company of her father Abel Amunga, lawyer Robert Odanga and a female friend.

Mr Odanga told journalists that his client was asked to narrate the events that led to the gas cylinder explosion which had been reported as the cause of Apewajoye’s death.

Offer answers

His postmortem was moved to today and will offer some answers as to the possible cause of death. Apewajoye, a Nigerian, died in hospital after sustaining burns from a gas cylinder explosion in the couple’s house at Great Wall Gardens Estate in Athi River.

The incident, on March 30, was initially described as an accident by DCI detectives based at the Athi River Police Station. However, police say they want to ensure all doubts are cleared by handling it professionally.

The detectives handling the case said they hope the autopsy would indicate the next steps.

“The postmortem will, among other issues, say if he died as a result of the fire incident. We will then know how to move forward,” said John Kariuki, head of investigations at the DCI.

Any other interested parties in the case have been asked to present their pathologist in the postmortem.

The detectives also went to Matete Athi River home to collect more evidence to help them establish the events that preceded Apewajoye’s death.

Detectives from the homicide unit have taken over the probe into the April 11 incident from their colleagues from Athi River. The team reconstructed the scene of the incident as narrated by Matete.

Apewajoye’s body is at the Kenyatta National Hospital Mortuary. The Nigerian embassy in Nairobi has said it will not conduct a separate probe into the incident.

Matete said Apewajoye was initially taken to Shalom Hospital and later transferred to Bellevue Hospital where he admitted into the high dependency unit before being moved to the Kenyatta National Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

During her grilling by detectives on what led to her husband’s death, Matate, who is two months pregnant, told police her husband died two weeks after he suffered burn wounds at their house.

Police and officials from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) visited the house where the incident happened after a gas cylinder exploded. The cylinder is among exhibits collected from the house for further analysis.

Experts from EPRA are helping the police to find out if the cylinder was faulty at the time of the incident. They are also working with the company that supplied the cylinder to the couple as part of the probe.

Matete told the police her husband’s upper body was burnt on March 30 at around 5pm after a failed attempt to light their six-kilogramme gas cylinder after a refill. She said the Nigerian was wearing only a pair of trousers when he took the cylinder from their kitchen to the balcony after he thought it was over-refilled and wanted to release some of the gas.

Seeking help

She said immediately after he tried to light the cylinder, it exploded, engulfing him in flames. He rushed into the house for help.

Matete then ran to the bedroom to get a duvet to cover him and put out the flames while screaming for help, which attracted the attention of her neighbours. He was rushed to the nearby Shalom Hospital.

On April 5, Apewajoye was referred to the Kenyatta National Hospital. He died on April 11, having sustained 60 per cent burns.

Matete announced the death through social media.

Kenyatta National Hospital said it would provide all the information it has to the police.