Kenyan rally driver Maxine Wahome has been fully acquitted by the High Court in Nairobi over the death of her late partner and fellow motorsport driver, Asad “Kalulu” Khan, bringing an end to a high-profile legal battle that captivated East Africa’s motorsport community.
High Court Judge Lady Justice Lilian Mutende ruled on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that the prosecution “failed to establish a prima facie case” against the WRC3 driver, declaring that she had “no case to answer”.
Delivering the long-awaited verdict, Justice Mutende noted that the evidence submitted by the prosecution fell well short of the legal threshold required to sustain a murder conviction.
Major East African media houses, majority from Kenya, widely covered the landmark decision:
The Standard Newspaper: Reported that the High Court formally cleared the 2022 Safari Rally WRC3 champion after determining that state prosecutors “failed to prove the rally driver committed the crime.”
Daily Nation / NTV Kenya: Highlighted that the prosecution was unable to produce compelling forensic evidence or eyewitness testimony directly linking Wahome to the fatal injuries suffered by Khan.
The Star Kenya: Quoted Senior Counsel Philip Murgor, lead defense lawyer, who maintained following the verdict that Wahome and her family had been victims of an unjust prosecution over what was fundamentally a tragic domestic accident.
Kenyans.co.ke & Citizen Digital: Confirmed the immediate discharge of the athlete, noting that the ruling officially closes the criminal case arising from the December 2022 incident at Nairobi’s Kileleshwa apartment complex.
The ruling had a major impact on motorsportf in East Africa.
Maxine Wahome made history in June 2022 when she became the first female driver in 16 years to win a World Rally Championship (WRC) third-tier round during the Safari Rally Kenya.
Her arrest and subsequent legal proceedings in early 2023 sent shockwaves through the regional motorsport circuit, pausing what had been one of East Africa’s most promising motorsport careers. With her full exoneration by the High Court, attention in the regional rallying fraternity now turns to whether the young driver will make a return to the cockpit.
