Witness identifies sisal rope allegedly used in Kiru principal murder

Jane Muthoni Mbuthi, who is charged with the murder of her husband, Kiru Boys Secondary School Principal Solomon Mwangi. On May 8, 2017, a witness identified a sisal rope believed to have been used to strangle the victim. PHOTO | MARTIN MWAURA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Njuguna is serving a seven-year jail term in an undisclosed prison after he was convicted for taking part in the murder.
  • On Monday, he gave evidence against Ms Jane Muthoni and her co-accused, Isaac Ng’ang’a.
  • State Counsel Catherine Mwaniki asked the court not to free the accused on bond.
  • She said they were likely to abscond or influence and intimidate witnesses.

The man who confessed to taking part in the murder of Kiru Boys Secondary School Principal Solomon Mwangi was Monday back in court, where he identified a sisal rope believed to have been used to strangle the victim.

Joseph Njuguna, alias Karis, had been brought to the Kiambu High Court to testify against his alleged accomplices.

Njuguna is serving a seven-year jail term in an undisclosed prison after he was convicted of taking part in the murder.

He had earlier in March pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges, saying he agreed to do the dirty job after being promised Sh400,000 by Mr Mwangi’s wife, Jane Muthoni Mbuthi.

On Monday, he gave evidence against Ms Mbuthi and her co-accused, Isaac Ng’ang’a, who have been charged with the murder of Mr Mwangi.

MURDER ACCOUNT

Njuguna, who shocked the country when he gave a blow-by-blow account of the brutal murder, told Justice Joel Ngugi that he and three other people who took part in the murder knew each other.

State counsel Catherine Mwaniki urged the court not to free the accused on bond, saying they were likely to abscond or influence and intimidate witnesses.

During the hearing, Ms Mbuthi, who has been in custody since December 2016, appeared calm and even laughed off some of the evidence given by the witness.

SISAL ROPE

Njuguna, who claimed the killers received only Sh100,000 from Ms Mbuthi for the job, identified the sisal rope they used to strangle Mr Mwangi.

The court also visited the murder scene.

The school head was murdered in November 2016 and his body was retrieved from the Kiahuria Dam in Kiambu County following a search after he went missing.

Mr Mwangi had failed to collect KCSE examination papers from the Murang'a County commissioner's office on November 7, prompting police to start looking for him.

After his body was discovered, police launched investigations and arrested his wife.