- The PS said Chirchir was an intern deployed to the National Treasury under the Public Service Internship Program (PSIP), Cohort 6, from February 1, 2024.
- He said Evans Chirchir died on the night of August 31 after being hit by a vehicle at Kyumvi in Machakos county.
Image: SCREENGRAB
The National Treasury has clarified that the sudden death of one of its junior employees was not linked to his occupation.
This is after the family linked his demise to a tender worth hundreds of millions.
In a statement on Thursday, Treasury PS Chris Kiptoo said Evans Chirchir died on the night of August 31 after being hit by a vehicle at Kyumvi in Machakos county.
“The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Kyumvi has confirmed the arrest of the driver involved in the incident. A post-mortem examination is being conducted to ascertain the precise cause of death,” the PS said.
He said Chirchir was an intern deployed to the National Treasury under the Public Service Internship Program (PSIP), Cohort 6, from February 1, 2024.
Following his disappearance on Saturday, August 31, his family moved to court on Wednesday to file a petition demanding that the state produces him dead or alive.
“We were here in the morning trying to make an application for habeas corpus – production of Evans Chirchir’s body - only to be informed by the family that he was found dead in Machakos,” family lawyer Philip Langat told reporters outside the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday.
The lawyer said the family believes Chirchir’s death was linked to a Sh286m tender at the National Treasury, an allegation they backed with claims that Chirchir had confided in his brother and expressed fear for his life days before his death.
“We believe that this is not just any other murder; it’s a murder that may have been linked with the procuring processes and the tendering processes,” Langat said.
The family lawyer said Chirchir had been summoned by friends for a meeting in Machakos on the day he disappeared only for him to turn up dead in a morgue days later.
PS Kiptoo confirmed that Chirchir worked in the procurement section at the National Treasury but as an intern, and was not actively involved in any tendering or procurement decision-making processes.
“It is important to emphasise that Chirchir's passing was in no way related to his professional duties or any activities at the National Treasury. He was not involved in any sensitive or decision-making capacities within the department, and the incident that led to his death occurred during his private time, far from his work responsibilities,” the PS said.
The Medical Superintended at the Machakos Level 5 hospital said Chirchir’s body was checked in at the facility’s morgue by police officers from Kyumvi police station and identified it as that of the deceased Treasury employee.
PS Kiptoo said reports on social and mainstream media linking the death to any tendering processes at the National Treasury are inaccurate and misleading.
“His body was found at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, where he had been registered on the night of August 31 as a victim of a road traffic accident,” he said.
The PS called for patience as investigative agencies continue with investigations with the aim of unraveling the circumstances surrounding Chirchir's death.
“At this difficult time, we offer our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones. We urge the public to refrain from circulating unverified and speculative information that could cause further distress to the family and harm the reputation of the National Treasury,” the PS said.