3 face manslaughter charges after Chuka bar collapse

From left: Ms Florah Kainyu, Mr Pius Mugambi and Mr Martin Koome in a Chuka court on December 17, 2019 where they faced charges of manslaughter. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Koome is the owner of the entertainment joint that collapsed on December 7 killing one person.
  • The matter will be mentioned on January 2, 2020, and the hearing will be on March 9, 2020.

A lecturer at the Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) and two other people have been charged in a Chuka court with manslaughter.

This follows the collapse of a bar's balcony in Ndagani market which left a man dead and 13 Chuka University students injured.

The court heard that on December 7, at around 1 pm at Coco Lounge nightclub, the KeMU lecturer, Mr Martin Koome, who is the owner of the entertainment joint, together with Mr Pius Mugambi, the bar's attendant, and Ms Florah Kainyu, the owner of the building, jointly caused the death of Mwiti Gitonga.

FREED ON BOND

When they appeared before Justice Njoki Kahara on Tuesday, the three denied the charges and were released on a Sh150,000 bond each or Sh100,000

cash bail each.

The matter will be mentioned on January 2, 2020 and the hearing will be on March 9, 2020.

The suspects took a plea after being held in police cells for a week as police officers investigated the matter.

The prosecution sought more days to conclude investigations but the court declined.