Court remands Maribe at Lang’ata Women’s Prison

Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe will be remanded at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison for six nights as she awaits a mental evaluation to be conducted on her before taking plea.

High Court Judge Jessie Lesiit granted the prosecution’s prayer to have the plea deferred pending the assessment which seeks to establish if Maribe is fit to stand trial.

“We are praying that the plea be deferred to allow mental assessment to be conducted on the second accused (Maribe). We are praying that she be escorted to Mathare Hospital for mental assessment,” The prosecution requested.

Maribe’s lawyer Katwa Kigen opposed the prosecution’s request on grounds that the court had already given the state enough time to conduct the assessment.

“My lady I don’t mind the issue of the mental assessment but my wish is that we take the plea today. Because my client has been in the prosecutions hands for 11 days. The prayer by the prosecution is casual,” said Mr. Kigen.

A mental assessment has already been conducted on the first accused Joseph “Jowie” Irungu who during the court proceedings secured orders allowing him to seek medical treatment through his lawyer Cliff Ombeta.

“Even after referral from Nairobi Hospital that he (Irungu) be taken for a surgical procedure at Kenyatta National Hospital it has not been done. His hand has gone numb. It is now paralysed. He is not able to do anything with that hand. There is a lot of swelling inside and a lot of pus that is coming out. It is important that he be taken to court immediately,” said Ombeta.

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During the proceedings, the body language of the accused persons was telling. Maribe and Irungu stood a distance from each other and avoided eye contact.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji had earlier directed that the two be arraigned in court saying that the file he had received from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had sufficient evidence to prosecute the two over Monica Kimani’s murder.

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“I have reviewed the evidence so far on record and I am satisfied that there exists a prima facie case to warrant criminal prosecution against Joseph Irungu Kuria alias Jowie and Jacqueline Wanjiru Maribe for the offence of murder contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the penal code,” reads the statement signed by DPP Haji.