Jowie, Maribe to know their fates in Monica Kimani murder trial

Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, and Jacqueline Maribe, accused of murdering Kenyan businesswoman Monica Kimani in September 2018, will know their fates today.

Either the judge will convict them, or they will be acquitted. In her closing submissions at the end of the hearing, lead prosecutor Gikuhi Gichuhi urged the judge to convict the duo.

“We have proved beyond reasonable doubt through evidence supported by witness statements that Jowie and Maribe killed the trader on September 19, 2018,” Gichuhi told the court.

She submitted that Jowie was positively identified by several witnesses as the last person seen at Kimani's house, which was confirmed by DNA analysis of blood samples taken from his shorts.

According to the prosecution, Maribe conspired with Jowie to create a false narrative that they had been attacked by robbers as they entered their home at Royal Park Estate in Langata, when Jowie had shot himself to cover up his actions.

Gichuhi said the Government Chemist's report proved that Kimani's blood samples were found on Jowie's clothes and that his phone records placed him at the scene of the murder.

But Jowie and Maribe, through their lawyers Prof Hassan Nandwa and Katwa Kigen for Jowie and Maribe respectively, argued that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against the suspects as required by law.

Prof Nandwa said there was no evidence that Jowie killed Kimani and that the prosecution was using a false theory that he killed the businesswoman simply because he was the last person seen with her. Kigen argued that none of the witnesses implicated the former news anchor in the murder.

"The case is based on circumstantial evidence; there's no direct evidence against the second accused person," Maribe's lawyer said.

Kigen also told the court that Maribe was not aware of Monica's existence. He also said there was no DNA evidence linking Maribe to Monica's murder.