Jowie to spend Christmas in prison as bail ruling pushed to February 2020

Joseph Irungu, the key suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, will spend the second Christmas in remand pending a ruling on his bail application next year.

Justice James Wakiaga on Thursday directed Jowie remain in custody until February 13, 2020 when a ruling on his bail application will be made.

Meanwhile, the hearing of the murder case against Jowie and his co-accused journalist Jacque Maribe will resume in March 2020.

In the trial on Thursday, Kembo, Maribe’s househelp, testified. She recounted how she saw Jowie groaning in pain with a gunshot wound in Maribe’s house on the fateful night of 19th September last year when Monica Kimani was murdered.

Fifteen witnesses have testified so far in the murder trial with 10 more expected to testify.

Jowie, who has been in remand since September 2018, filed a fresh bail application last week claiming he was suffering at the Kamiti Maximum Prison where he is detained.

He pleaded with the court to consider the time he has already been in custody and free him.

The suspect, whose previous bail applications have been denied, further sought to assure the court that if released “I have no intent to go anywhere.”

“My second accused (Jacque Maribe) was granted bail and she never absconded court. I deserve the same,” he said.

Maribe was freed on bail in October 2018, with the court denying Jowie bail on grounds that he was a flight risk and was likely to intimidate witnesses.

In his ruling, Justice Wakiaga indicated that there was no indication that Maribe is a flight risk and Prosecution did not prove that she would interfere with witnesses.

In denying Jowie bail, the court ruled that he has extensively traveled to Middle East with no known assets in the country and his willingness to surrender the passport is no guarantee that he will not jump bail or abscond court.