Machakos Senator Boniface Kabaka is dead

Machakos Senator Boniface Kabaka Mutinda is dead, his family has confirmed.

Kabaka (pictured) died on Friday while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital a week after he ended up in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua eulogised Mr Kabaka an astute lawyer and legislator who died “due to the effects of a stroke arising from a blood clot that has been bothering him for a while.”

“On behalf of myself and the people of Machakos, I pass my condolences to the family of our beloved Senator Boniface Kabaka,” said Mutua.

He went on: “Before he became Senator he had for a time served as my Government’s legal counsel. He was a lively man with a strong dedication to the improvement of the welfare of the people of Machakos and Kenya. This is a big blow to us.”

What happened to Kabaka?

Mystery still surrounds what happened to Kabaka at a hotel apartment in Nairobi where he was meeting Esther Nthenya Muli, a secondary school teacher from Wote, Makueni County.  

It all started last Thursday afternoon when Kabaka drove himself to 3Dee apartments. He had no bodyguard or driver.

Police investigators told a Nairobi court that the senator checked in at 2pm and booked apartment No 306. He is said to have looked normal, with no sign of illness.

What happened?

One hour later, investigators claimed he was joined by a woman - Ms Muli - a deputy principal and secondary school Kiswahili teacher.

“From the apartment room, they ordered drinks and food through telephone from the nearby 3Dee Restaurant, which were brought and served by the apartment’s employees,” said investigating officer Jason Matete.

What seemed to be a nice evening went wrong at night when the senator suddenly fell sick, collapsed and had to be rushed to Nairobi Hospital.

The police are still trying to piece togetnher information on what happened from Thursday at 3pm when they ordered a meal, and Friday morning when he was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Esther Nthenya Muli at the Milimani Law Courts. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Ms Muli was held over the sickness of Senator Kabaka, but was released on December 10 from Kilimani police cells after 36 hours. This was after tests conducted on the senator ruled out the possibility that he could have been poisoned, as earlier thought.

Makueni MP Dan Maanzo, the lawyer representing Ms Muli confirmed that she had left the cells.

“As we speak she is now at home. The police had no reason to hold her after test results revealed that the senator was not poisoned,” Maanzo told The Standard on the telephone.

The leadership of Makueni County came to the defence of Muli.

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana described her as a "caring lady", while Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo, who is also her lawyer, said she was a "harmless woman of repute caught up in issues she had nothing to do with".