Murder prisoner Joseph Irungu, popularly known as Jowie, will know today how long he will spend in prison for the murder of businessman Monica Nyawira Kimani.
High Court Judge Grace Nzioka will decide what sentence she will give to Irungu after finding him guilty of murder last month. Mr Irungu was due to be sentenced last Friday, but this case was pushed to March 13 to allow his lawyer, Prof Hassan Nandwa, to present his submissions after being handed the preliminary sentencing report and submissions from the Office of the Public Director. Prosecution (ODPP).
In his presentation, the assistant director at ODDP Gikui Gichuhi asked the court to recommend the death sentence against Mr Irungu, saying that they showed during the trial that there was a complex plan for the crime, there was no provocation from Monica and there was a trial trying to hide the mistake. Ms. Gichuhi asked the court to recognize that there are serious circumstances that will force the judge to issue a sentence of non-custodial or death sentence.
No one has been sentenced to death since 1987, when revolutionary leader John Ochuka was found guilty of treason and hanged. Irungu can also be sentenced to life imprisonment or prison terms depending on the mitigation and a victim impact statement – a statement describing the physical or emotional harm and loss suffered by the victim of the crime.
The 28-year-old businesswoman was killed on the night of September 19, 2018, shortly after arriving from Juba. She was supposed to fly to Dubai the next morning, but her lifeless body was found in the bathtub with his throat slit from ear to ear. The judge said the evidence against Mrs. Jacque Maribe, who was also accused of the murder, was not enough to prove the crime against her and thus set her free.
