Not My Shorts- Jowie Changes Goalposts In Monica Kimani Case

Jowie told Justice Grace Nzioka at a Nairobi court that the pair of cream blood-stained shorts police had claimed was his did not belong to him.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
May 11, 2023 - 15:24 Updated: May 11, 2023 - 15:27
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Not My Shorts- Jowie Changes Goalposts In Monica Kimani Case
A collage of Jowie, Jacque Maribe and the deceased Monica Kimani. /FILE

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie, the main suspect in the murder case of the late businesswoman, Monica Kimani, on Thursday, May 11 denied wearing a pair of shorts whose DNA profile was initially generated from the scanning of blood stains on it that matched that of Kimani.

While defending himself against allegations of murdering Monica, Jowie told Justice Grace Nzioka at a Nairobi court that the pair of cream blood-stained shorts police had claimed was his did not belong to him.

The prosecution had argued that the garment, which was retrieved from the house of former Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe at the Royal Park estate in Lang'ata, had Kimani's blood. 

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie defends himself in court on May 11, 2023. /DAILY NATION

"It's not my short. Mine was brown in colour similar to the Nike shoes I wore on the material day," said Jowie.

Another witness, Chelegat Ruto, who saw Jowie on the night of September 19, 2018, when Kimani was murdered, claimed that he was wearing brown khaki shorts.

At the same time, Jowie denied knowing Kimani and never visited her Nairobi residence in Kilimani the night she was killed, adding that he was not at her house in Lamuria Gardens when she was killed.

"I never visited Monica at her residence and l never talked to her since l did not know her. I knew her brother George Kimani," Jowie told the court.

Jowie, who is charged alongside Maribe, had also confessed to lying to the police about a gunshot wound on his left shoulder, which he had initially claimed was the result of an assault by unknown assailants.

He however claimed that he accidentally shot himself during a heated argument with his former girlfriend, Maribe, which reportedly arose after Jowie found concerning messages on Maribe's phone.

Intoxicated and enraged by what he had seen, Jowie confronted Maribe and even raised the issue with one of their friends. In the midst of the escalating confrontation, Jowie began throwing his clothes out of the window.

Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, a gun belonging to a friend named Brian Kasaine went off, causing Jowie to accidentally shoot himself.

"Kasaine brought me the gun saying he did not want to keep it in his house because of serious differences with his wife. He told me his wife had gone out and did not come back...when she returned they differed," Jowie informed the court. 

The prosecution challenged Jowie's defence and questioned whether he had a valid licence to possess a firearm.

Jowie further disclosed that he had been licensed as a security consultant in Dubai but not in Kenya, where the incident occurred, a revelation that however contradicted photographs that had surfaced, showing Jowie handling sophisticated firearms.

To further challenge Jowie's narrative, the prosecution presented a video clip in court that depicted Jowie handling a gun at Maribe's house on the same day as the argument, whereby he was heard saying, "Always pray for your toy before any active day."

It was this piece of evidence that was aimed to undermine Jowie's claim that the gunshot wound was accidental.

In addition to the shorts, Maribe's car was used by Jowie to drive him to Kimani's house that night. According to Chief Inspector of Police Maxwell Otieno on July 20, 2022, her vehicle was thus used in committing the murder.

Jowie was reportedly driven to Kimani’s house by Jennings Orlando, a Recce Squad officer of the General Service Unit (GSU) who Jowie later dropped in Ngara to pick up a matatu to his workstation in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

Jowie and Jacque Maribe in court. /FILE

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