Caretaker describes crime scene in murder trial
What you need to know:
Regan Buluku told the court that they broke the door after Monica’s brother George said he had tried reaching her in vain.
He said they peeped into the house and could hear water running while the TV was on.
Monica’s hands and legs had been tied with a strap and the tap in the bathtub left running, Mr Buluku said.
A caretaker at Lamuria Garden apartments Wednesday spoke of a horrifying scene when they broke the door to Monica Kimani’s house and found her lying in a bathtub lifeless.
Mr Regan Buluku, who was testifying in the murder trial of Mr Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, and Ms Jacque Maribe, told the court that they broke the door after Monica’s brother George said he had tried reaching her in vain.
PEEPED
Monica’s hands and legs had been tied with a strap and the tap in the bathtub left running, Mr Buluku said.
“I immediately called the security manager, who informed the police,” he said, adding that her throat had been slit.
The caretaker said George came looking for his sister in the late afternoon accompanied by his fiancée. According to Mr Buluku, Monica’s phone was ringing but she wasn’t picking. And after a while, the phone went off.
He said they peeped into the house and could hear water running while the TV was on.
The lights were also on and candles had been placed around the bathtub.
While being taken through his evidence by state counsel Gikui Wangui, Mr Buluku said a small yellow bag had been hanged on the lock, behind the main door, and there were utensils, empty beer cans and bottles on the table in the living room.
PARCEL
Later, while being cross-examined by Prof Hassan Nandwa, who represents Mr Irungu, the witness said the CCTV to the building was not working around that time.
The owner of the building, he said, lived in one of the apartments and his wife was the one in charge of the CCTV room.
Earlier on, a delivery executive, Mr Dennis Wanjala, told the court that Monica had a parcel from a counterpart in South Sudan the day she arrived. The parcel had been sent from Stanbic Bank through a company known as Netlink Business Services Ltd.
Mr Wanjala said the company had offices in Juba and Nairobi and they used to send and receive packages and parcels on behalf of clients. He said he was informed by his office of the parcel and proceeded to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the evening of September 19, 2018, and picked it from Monica.
He delivered the parcel to Stanbic the following day, he said.
INTERVIEW
Another witness, Ms Chelangat Ruto, told the court that she and her friend identified as June Juliet had a late lunch with Jowie and another man on September 18, 2018 at Q Lounge in Kilimani. They stayed at the club for about two hours, then Jowie received a call and left.
The businesswoman said June was working for Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and the latter was scheduled to have an interview at Citizen TV on the same night. They then proceeded to Royal Media Services, where they stayed until Governor Sonko completed his interview.
At RMS offices, they met Ms Maribe and exchanged greetings before she went back to work. And after the show, they proceeded to another club identified as 40-forty still in the same locality where they stayed up to around 4am. “We went to the club myself, June, Jacque, the Governor and his friends,” she said.
JOINED THEM
She said Jowie joined them at around 1am and sat to a table next to theirs. When they left, Jowie drove in Maribe’s car while she left with June. Jowie, he said, wore the same outfit- a while T-shirt and brown shorts, which he had in the afternoon.
The hearing continues.
