Monica Kimani Murder: Court Postpones Judgment Against Jacque Maribe, Jowie Irungu For Second Time

• Trial Judge Grace Nzioka, who is based in Naivasha, was to deliver the judgment today, Friday, December 15
• The judge told parties that she received the exhibits, which are crucial in helping her determine the case
• Jowie Irungu and Jacque Maribe maintain that the prosecution had fallen short of proving its case

Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Nairobi - The High Court has once again postponed the judgment of former TV news anchor Jacque Maribe and her ex-fiance, Jowie Irungu, charged over the murder of late businesswoman Monica Kimani, to January 26, 2024.

Trial Judge Grace Nzioka was to deliver the judgment today, Friday, December 15, but told parties that she received the exhibits, which are crucial in helping her determine the case, as late as yesterday.

This is the second time the judgment has been postponed.

Why Judge Grace Nzioka postponed the case for the first time

Justice Nzioka, who is based in Naivasha, was to deliver the judgment on October 6, 2023, but she was reported to be ill, pushing the judgment to December 15.

TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that the duo, accused of murdering the Kenyan businesswoman in September 2018, will either be found guilty or not by Justice Nzioka.

After the hearing, the lead prosecutor, Gikuhi Gichuhi, begged the judge to convict them.

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

How the prosecution plans to pin down Maribe, Jowie

According to her, DNA testing on blood samples recovered from Jowie's shorts verified the testimony of many witnesses who said he was the last person seen at Kimani's house.

The prosecution claims that Maribe and Jowie planned to fabricate a story that robbers had attacked the couple when they entered their home in Lang'ata's Royal Park Estate before Jowie shot himself to cover up his crimes.

Gichuhi asserted that the government chemist's report demonstrated the presence of Kimani's blood samples on Jowie's clothing and the location of the murder scene according to his phone records.

What's Maribe, Jowie's defence

However, Jowie and Maribe maintained that the prosecution had fallen short of proving its case against the suspects per the law with the help of their respective attorneys, Hassan Nandwa and Katwa Kigen.

Nandwa claimed that there was no proof that Jowie killed Kimani and that the prosecution relied on the fallacious premise that he did it since he was the last person to be seen with the successful businesswoman.

According to Kigen, no witness named the former news anchor as a suspect in the slaying.