Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga is demanding a speedy and thorough investigation into the mysterious dead of lawyer Paul Gicheru on Monday night.

While mourning Gicheru, who passed away at his Karen home in Nairobi, Raila called for a speedy probe into the death led by international security agencies, including Interpol.

“To avoid a cover-up in Kenya, we call upon international investigative agencies, including Interpol, to lead the investigation. This is particularly so because the case has international implications as Gicheru was in the custody of the ICC at the time of his death,” said Raila.

In the statement released by his spokesperson Prof Makau Mutua, the ODM party leader shared his condolences with the family over the death under mysterious circumstances.

“Reports in the public domain indicate that Gicheru died in suspicious and mysterious circumstances. His son was reportedly rushed to the hospital in unclear circumstances at the time of his father's death. Raila Odinga takes this opportunity to express his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Gicheru,” reads the statement by Prof Mutua.

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The former Premier also demanded a thorough probe into the admitted son’s ailment while expressing shock at the puzzling death of Gicheru, who had surrendered to the Hague court.

The lawyer was tried before the International Criminal Court for witness tampering in the Kenyan cases related to the 2007-08 post-election violence and was awaiting judgment.

Paul Gicheru. PHOTO/COURTESY

“Gicheru's death comes in the wake of others who have been associated with the ICC cases, especially high-profile witnesses. This pattern of mysterious and unexplained deaths, some of them gruesome and macabre, is extremely disturbing,” added Raila.

He called on the Kenyan authorities to cooperate during the investigation into the death.

“Kenya is a party to the ICC statute and should fully cooperate with the investigation,” he concluded.