A Nairobi Court has convicted six individuals for the murder of George Thuo, the former Juja Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) in 2013.
In the ruling made on Friday, April 19, Justice Roselyne Korir found the six accused guilty of murder under section 203 as read with section 204 of the penal code.
The six individuals include Paul Wainaina, the owner of the club where the murder is believed to have taken place, the MP’s aide Christopher Lumbazio Andika alias Lumba, and two DJs – Andrew Karanja and Samuel Kuria.
Additionally, Esther Ndinda Mûlinge, a waitress at the club, and patron, Ruth Watahi Irungu alias Atlanta are also among those convicted.
The court found that the six were guilty of poisoning Thuo’s drink with Cyhalothrine Pesticide at the Porkies Garden Restaurant in Thika Town, Kiambu County.
Thuo died on the night of November 17, 2013, after he reportedly developed complications. The complications started after taking a drink and he was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Prosecution’s argument
Furthermore, Justice Roselyne Korir ruled that the prosecution had proven the case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Allegations that he was poisoned somewhere else were disproved with the prosecution noting that traces of the pesticide were found in Thuo’s body.
The court found that the first, second, third, and fourth accused persons sat with the deceased on the material day and never left the table till the end of the night.
The court prosecution further proved that they had the means and opportunity to tamper with the drink.
Court dismisses the accused’s testimony
The court dismissed the testimony submitted by the sixth accused, who claimed she had only bought a drink for the victim as a sign of friendship.
Ruth Watahi Irungu, testified in court that she went to Porkies Garden Restaurant to get change for Ksh 1,000 and then saw the MP, whom she hugged and bought a drink for.
However, the court questioned her motives and wondered if her hug was a “Judas hug”, likening it to “kikulacho kinguoni mwako”.
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“Was the hug of the sixth person the Judas kiss… evidence showed that she was a regular customer, and she would be given the change even without buying a drink for the MP,” the court said.
The judgment follows testimonials from 30 witnesses and adduced ten exhibits.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 3, 2024, with the accused remanded at the Nairobi Remand Prison and Lang’ata Women’s Prison.
The conviction of the six individuals for the murder of former Juja MP George Thuo marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the late politician and his family.
