Case involving murder of Lawyer Paul Magu and family kicks off

The hearing of a case linking Pastor Ann Wambui Wanyoro over the controversial death of city lawyer Paul Magu and his family in 2014 kicked off Thursday  morning at Kiambu Law Courts and will continue for three days with two witnesses lined up for the first day.

The case was mentioned before Kiambu Law Courts Magistrate R.A. Oganyo on Wednesday.

Pastor Wanyoro has since denied charges and is out on a Ksh 2 million bond.

Her lawyer, Waithera Mwangi, asked the court to proceed with the case that has taken over a year to start.

The Pastor was also charged with possible planning the murdering of Mrs Magu and their children Allen, 9, Ryan, 8 and Tiffany, 6.

The court heard that Mrs Magu went missing on November 23rd, 2014 and her partially burnt body was found in a thicket on Kiambu Road.

Magu left home with the three children in his car but returned home alone before travelling to his rural home in Thika the same day.

He was found dead on November 25th, 2014. The bodies of the children were found in different parts of the 2,500-acre Tatu City real estate land.

The death of the Magu family roped in one of Africa’s most famous Televangelists, Nigerian preacher T.B Joshua, who defended himself from claims that he may have had something to do with the bizarre deaths.

Mr Magu’s passport, which was found in his house moments after his body was discovered along the Thika- Garissa Highway, indicated that he had visited Nigeria on several occasions.

Inside the house, a room that he used as a shrine was discovered.

Relatives and the house help said he spent most of his time with Ms Wanyoro inside the room.

The room had several spiritual materials that included teachings on curses, misery and wealth.

The court had allowed the police to detain Pastor Wanyoro at the Muthaiga Police Station for two weeks as they carried out investigations into the murders.

In an affidavit, the Criminal Investigation Officer Maxwell Otieno, told the court that Magu had under unclear circumstances, intended to transfer ownership of some of his property to Pastor Wanyoro in a will deposited through his lawyer, John Ochola Odhiambo.

“For four days between November 16th and November 19th, the suspect Ann Wambui Nyoro stayed in the house of Mr Magu and performed what was described by the house help as cultist rituals,” said Mr Otieno in the affidavit.

He said even after the murder of Mrs Magu, Pastor Wanyoro spent time with the deceased severally and the two visited several places together.

Magu was hit by a bus that was heading to Nairobi from Garissa. The driver of the bus said that the deceased crossed the road when the bus was already too near.

At the time of the accident, police said Magu had left his car at the side of the road, with the engine running. The deceased had a white jerry can in his hands when he was hit by the bus.