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From left: Stephen Astiva, Mustafa Kimani, Raphael Kimani and Erick Isabwa in a Nairobi court where they were charged alongside three others with the murder of former Kabete MP George Muchai, his driver and two bodyguards.
Four men believed to have shot and killed former Kabete MP George Muchai, his two bodyguards and personal driver 10 years ago, have a case to answer.
The court ruled that Eric Mungera Isabwa alias Chairman, Raphael Kimani Gachii alias Kim Butcher, Mustafa Kimani alias Musto, and Stephen Astiva Lipopo alias Chokore, have a case to answer in the murder of Muchai, police constables Samuel Kimathi and Samuel Lekakeny, and driver Stephen Ituu Wambugu.
Former Kabete MP George Muchai.
The four were shot dead at around 3.40 am on the night of February 7, 2015, at the Kenyatta Avenue- Uhuru Highway Roundabout.
Mr Muchai had left a hotel in Westlands and was heading to his home in Kamulu, when he stopped to buy newspapers at the roundabout, when his car was blocked and the attackers shot him at point-blank.
The late MP’s wife Susan Nyawira and her sister Judy Njoki were in front of them in a different vehicle, after leaving the same venue for home.
“I find that the Republic has established a prima facie case against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th accused persons. Accordingly, under the provisions of section 306 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, I place the four on their defence,” said Justice Kanyi Kimondo.
Justice Kanyi Kimondo.
The court, however, freed Jane Wanjiru Kamau alias Shiro, Margaret Njeri Wachiuri and Simon Wambugu Gichamba.
Justice Kimondo said the only evidence linking Ms Njeri to the incident was that she was found in Mungera’s house in Kinoo. There was no clear-cut evidence that she was an accomplice in the murders.
“As things now stand, there is not reliable evidence proving that the 5th, 6th and 7th accused persons killed or were party to the killing of any of the four deceased persons. Fundamentally, the evidence does not reveal malice aforethought,” said the judge.
(From left) Simon Gichamba, Margaret Njeri, Jane Wanjiku alias Shiro, Stephen Astiva Lipapo alias Chokore, Mustafa Kimani Anyonyi alias Musto, Raphael Kimani Gachii alias Kim Butcher and ErickMunyera Isabwa alias Chairman at Milimani Law Court on February 19, 2025, where they are facing murder charges of former Kabete MP George Mukuru Muchai and three others.
Justice Kimondo set the defence hearing for October 22.
Muchai was a MP elected on the then-ruling Jubilee Party after being elected for the first time in 2013.
He was also the deputy secretary-general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu).
To establish the case, the prosecution called a total of 36 witnesses, including two women and a man, who had been carjacked on the fateful night and their vehicles used in the commission of crimes.
Robbery with violence
The accused persons are separately facing charges of robbery with violence before a magistrate court.
In the defence, the accused persons asked the court to acquit them, arguing that none of the witnesses identified them positively, and that the evidence was riddled with contradictions and inconsistencies.
Mr Ronald Nyangaresi, a newspaper vendor, recalled that at around 3.40 am, Muchai, a regular customer of about 10 years, stopped to buy newspapers.
The vendor said he had handed the late MP three dailies and was fetching a fourth one for him when a vehicle stopped in front of Muchai’s and a hooded man came out while brandishing a G3 rifle and shot the occupants.
Mr Nyangaresi said he fled for his safety and never saw the killers.
Ms Nyawira testified that she was driving with her sister in a different vehicle in front of her husband when they noticed that Muchai had stopped. They then heard gunshots.
They then made a U-turn and got to the roundabout and noticed that the windows had been shuttered and the four occupants shot dead.
Mr Michael Ngatia said he had been carjacked and locked in the car boot and the vehicle driven towards Kikuyu.
A G3 rifle.
His car, he said, was the one that was used to block another vehicle before he was abandoned. He was later rescued by the police.
Ms Gladys Waithera and her sister Irene Wambui said they were heading home through Kawangware when they were carjacked.
The carjackers sandwiched them between two men before they were abandoned at Kamandura near Tigoni.
According to the police, following the arrest of Astiva, he led them to a house in Kinoo, where they recovered G3 rifle. It is suspected the gun had been stolen from a police officer a few months earlier.
The police also said they recovered several mobile phones suspected to have been stolen.
