All eyes were on Justice Grace Nzioka on Friday, February 9 as she delivered the judgement in the murder case of Monica Kimani.
In the case that dragged for years, Joseph Irungu aka Jowie and former Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe were the first and second accused persons respectively.
In September 2018, the body of the late Kimani was discovered at her Lamuria Garden, in Nairobi’s Kilimani.
The delivery took hours as the Judge, apart from reading the judgment, gave context, explanations and narrations, leaving millions of Kenyans who were following the case glued on their screens.
After years of waiting for justice, Justice Nzioka found Jowie guilty of the murder of Monica Kimani, setting a date for the sentencing. At the same time, Maribe escaped by a whisker, and she is now a free citizen – a sigh of relief it was for her.
But who is this Judge? The Kenya Times did some digging and here is what we gathered.
About Justice Grace Nzioka
Lady justice Grace Nzioka was among the judges affected by a routine transfer conducted by Chief Justice Martha Koome in 2022.
Also Read: Court Finally Delivers Verdict in Jacque Maribe and Jowie Murder Case
Following the reshuffle, Nzioka was transferred to Naivasha High Court as the Presiding Judge.
Before the shuffle, she had been serving in the Criminal Division of the High Court.
In 2020 Judge Grace Nzioka recused herself from a case in which the Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju was involved.
Tuju was challenging a decision by a London court allowing a bank to recover over Ksh1.5 billion from his company.
“I am taking liberty to recuse myself from hearing this matter without being moved by any party. Let’s release ourselves from the shackles of which court or which judge is hearing this case. Any other judge should be at liberty to hear it,” she said then.
In January 2013, Justice Grace Nzioka was carjacked in Nairobi at gunpoint.
Armed robbers forced themselves into her home in Karen at about 10pm on Wednesday night.
They stole valuables from her home before driving off with her and her husband who arrived home as the robbery was happening. They were later freed unharmed.
Justice Grace Nzioka dismissed speculations that the carjacking could be linked to the commission investigating violence in the Tana Delta which she chaired.
“I have no reason to believe that this was not a normal robbery. These are guys literally demanding money from you… these are guys putting you in the car and driving you to an ATM to draw money. If they really wanted a laptop, it was still in the GK that brought me home because I didn’t get out of the car,” she said.
Board wants Nzioka sacked
In 2013, the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board declared Justice Nzioka and two magistrates unfit to continue holding office, following complaints, including graft and delayed rulings.
Nzioka was accused of disrespecting advocates appearing before her.
The Board argued that her style and conduct was unbecoming and was affecting the dispensation of justice to the public.
Also Read: Jacque Maribe, Jowie Judgement Day Moved Again
“The Judge failed to appreciate that her conduct had a demeaning and negative impact on both dispensation of justice and on litigants and their advocates,” bord chairman Rao said.
“There was lack of introspection and appreciation of the effect of her inappropriate style and conduct,” he added.
