Rally queen Maxine out on cash bail
A celebrated Kenyan woman rally driver who allegedly assaulted her boyfriend on Jamhuri Day landing him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was yesterday freed on Sh 100,000 cash bail pending investigations into the incident.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi released Maxine Wahome on bail after rejecting the prosecution’s request to continue detaining her pending completion of investigations.
Maxine was released on bail and ordered to report to Kilimani Police Station every Monday until the probe in the matter is determined.
The police had sought 14 days to continue detaining Maxine until the condition of the boyfriend Asad ‘Kalulu’ Khan, also a rally driver, improves.
Khan is said to be admitted at Avenue hospital following a spat which left him with serious injuries.
“ The complainant, Khan is admitted at High Dependency Unit in critical condition with serious deep cuts on the right ankle, “ said State Prosecutor James Gachoka.
The lady is being investigated over an offence of grievous harm.
Gachoka sought the detention of the suspect on grounds that she is influential and most of the witnesses in the matter come from the apartment where she resides.
Cyber analysis
“We want to monitor the condition of the complainant, subject the mobile phone and sim cards recovered from Wahome to cyber analysis and obtain necessary reports which we believe contain crucial information, “ said Gachoka.
The state additionally wanted the woman detained to enable them to escort her to the government chemist for DNA sampling before they can file criminal charges against her.
Police alleged that the combat between the two which occurred at their apartment left goods strewn on the floor in the dining room with a pool of blood stains on the floor and staircase.
Glasses broken
The magistrate heard that the fight left windows and doors panes glasses broken.
Gachoka informed the court that police are pursuing other accomplices of Maxine in the incident as they are still at large.
In April this year, the kindergarten teacher was declared the winner of the Inaugural Lioness All-Women’s Rally at Kasarani after speeding past Natasha Tundo in a nerve-racking speed test tussle.
Later in June, the 26-year-old made history in June after she became the first Kenyan female driver to win the World Rally Championship-3(WRC3).
She won the title on home soil in the 2022 edition of the African classic that saw Finland’s Kalle Rovanpera win the main class to extend his lead at the top of the world championship.
“My goal was just to learn the car and day by day improve my speed. This was my first time in the car - I normally drive a Subaru Impreza N12. The only testing I got with the car was on Tarmac, which is completely different to the Safari,” Maxine said.
She has also participated in other local rally championships in Voi, Machakos and Ramisi as well as autocross events in Mombasa and Nairobi. She also competed at the ARC Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally.
Maxine started out as an autocross participant at an early age before scaling up to motocross and eventually venturing into Safari Rally.
