Jowie Irungu, the suspect in Monica Kimani’s murder, explained to the court on Thursday on the events of the night he is said to have shot himself, apparently after a falling out with his then flame, Jackie Maribe.
Irungu appeared before Lady Justice Grace Nzioka at the Milimani Law courts Thursday May 11 as the murder trial of businesswoman Monica Kimani continues.
Monica was found murdered at Lamuria Gardens on Kitale Road in Nairobi.
Irungu and Maribe are jointly accused that they murdered the 29-year-old Juba-based businesswoman in September 2018.
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She was killed on the night of September 19, 2018, at Lamuria Gardens Apartments in Kilimani, Nairobi.
She had arrived from Juba, South Sudan where she was running the family business.
Irungu told the court that the gun went off by itself at Maribe’s house, shortly after they had a heated argument about some messages he saw on her phone.
He was giving testimony in a case he and Maribe are charged with murder of Monica.
“We had an argument again about a message I saw on her phone and we threw words at each other,” Irungu said.
“I got tired and I was throwing my clothes outside, I wanted to leave the house because the same message was repetitive and I was intoxicated and angry I didn’t want to listen to her at all, whatever I had seen,” he said.
He claimed that while he was moving his clothes from Maribe’s house and throwing them outside, the gun went off and a bullet struck him in the chest.
“So when I was moving my clothes the gun went out and hit me on the chest so I went to my neighbor Brian Kasaine,” he added.
The court also heard about how he came to possess the gun allegedly owned by his neighbour.
“Brian had brought the gun because they were having a fight with the wife,” he said.
According to Irungu, he gave the police a contradictory account of his bullet wound because the gun’s owner, Brian, told him he had obtained it illegally and would be in trouble if word got out.
“Brian gave me a narrative that I say thugs attacked me because he had acquired the gun illegally and he said if we said the truth he will be in trouble,” he added.
According to Irungu, Maribe informed their neighbour that he had shot himself before they all jumped into Maribe’s car and drove to a hospital in Langata.
“They took me to hospital in Langata but they were not ready for us so they took me to Nairobi hospital,” Irungu said.
“Brian later dropped us to our house and in the morning I didn’t wake up early, Jackie’s mum came around 11am I said hi and went back to bed,”
Irungu further claimed he discovered he was a suspect in the death of Monica while watching television.
He testified before the court that at around 6.45 am the following morning, police arrived at his door and questioned him.
“They asked for car keys, phone, cup and clothes I was wearing them they took me to Langata police station they took my passport and taken to Kilimani police station,” he added
“I was taken to DCI and a lady showed me a CCTV video asking me if that was me and I said no but she insisted that it was me, I learnt on TV what I was being accused of,”
During the court proceedings, Irungu stated that the pair of cream shorts brought as exhibit were not his.
He claimed to have worn a brown pair on that particular day.
Irungu, who was freed from Kamiti after about two years on a Sh2 million cash bail, also denied knowing the late Monica.
“I really don’t know Monica but I know the brother George. We schooled with him in 2012, we never met after that because I traveled outside the country then we later caught up on Instagram but we were to meet at 40 40 a place I used to go,” Irungu said.
“I have never interacted with her, I didn’t even have her number.”
Irungu also cast doubt on assertions that he had asked his neighbour for paraffin to “burn some stuff” during the hearing. He claimed his neighbour was just making up a story to save his own skin.
“That is a lie he was doing that to cover up for himself because I didn’t call anyone, None of my clothes were missing or burnt,” he added.
He also denied taking a taxi on the night of the murder, telling the court he was driving Maribe’s car instead.
“On 19th no one drove my car if it was on road house it could have been seen by CCTV,” he said
“One of the police officers drove the car from Royal Park to the police station, there was no fingerprints done there,” he claimed.
According to Irungu, on that fateful night, he drove around looking for fuel after leaving the Road House where he was hanging out with friends.
“We stayed at Road House till 11 pm waiting for Jacky Maribe and I tried calling her, but she was not picking. I reached out to a Royal Media director Monica Kiragu who got hold of her and she told me her phone was charging,” he added.
“We had no plans that we were going out. We roamed around Denis pritt trying to fuel but that time there was no fuel. I was with my friend we went round till Mbagathi then back to road house, I fueled Sh500 and gave my friend Sh500 then I dropped my friend then drove again to Westlands, where Maribe and her friends were.