Following the disclosure that a blood-stained pair of shorts were discovered at former TV anchor Jacqueline Maribe’s home, the Monica Kimani murder trial has taken an unexpected turn.
The blood recovered on the shorts matched the victim, according to Chief Inspector of Police Maxwell Otieno. He went on to say that the main murder suspect Joseph Irungu, aka Jowie, owned the shorts.
“Ms Kimani’s blood travelled from Lamuria to her (Maribe’s) house at Royal Park in Lang’ata. The blood originated from the murder scene to her house,” said Otieno, who appeared as the 44th prosecution witness.
During a cross-examination of the witness by Maribe’s defense attorney Katwa Kigen, Otieno was questioned if the police had discovered anything connecting the case to the media celebrity. This is when the information regarding the shorts was revealed.
Despite not finding the murder weapon, according to Otieno, they did find the shorts. The Chief Inspector said, ” “We did a thorough search in Kimani’s house for the object but it was not found.”]
On September 19, 2018, Kimani was allegedly murdered by the two suspects at her residence in Lamuria Gardens in Kilimani.
The prosecution team presented a variety of evidence during the case’s final hearing, including clothing, blood-stained swabs, DNA samples, a gun and a bullet that were discovered at the crime scene and in Maribe’s apartment.
Otieno said that the victim’s body had not been examined for Maribe’s DNA samples or fingerprints. The defense team referred to the prosecution’s case as circumstantial in response.
The prosecution countered that even though there was no proof connecting Maribe to the slaying, she was nonetheless implicated in the crime since Irungu used her car to get to Kimani’s house the night of the slaying.
“She facilitated (the crime) by providing her motor vehicle to Mr Irungu to move to the house (of Kimani),” said Otieno.
Soon after the Chief Inspector provided his evidence, Justice Grace Nzioka closed the hearing, and instructed the relevant parties to provide a written submission within 30 days and appear once again before her on September 30, 2022.
