Aisha Jumwa pleads not guilty to murder charges

Malindi legislator Aisha Jumwa on Thursday pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has asked for time to file documents to oppose bond. 

The court gave prosecution two hours to do so and and serve the accused's lawyers. 

The judge, however, said she is unlikely to make a ruling on bond application today based on several materials she is required to read before making a decision. 

Earlier in the day, High Court Justice Njoki Mwangi was forced to briefly defer plea taking to allow the DPP's office to avail missing mental assessment report for the MP's co-accused, her aide Geoffrey Otieno.

The judge had questioned the validity of Ms Jumwa's medical report, which the court noted bears a signature that's not that of a psychiatric known to be conducting the assessments in Mombasa. 

However, the prosecutors explained that the medic who appends his signatures on the report has retired and that the procedure was done by his colleague who is currently in charge.

Prosecutors Jammy Yamina and Alloys Kemo had asked the court to proceed with plea taking pending the production of the report but the judge declined, directing that the report must be availed in court before the two are charged.

Defence lawyers Jared Magolo, Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta, however, read mischief and demanded that the document be produced. 

The prosecutors were forced to rush back to their office to pick the document.

The two face charges over the killing of Ms Jola Ngumbao, an ODM supporter who was shot dead in October last year during campaigns for the Ganda Ward by-election.