This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
On July 15, 2020, a High Court judge made a ruling that would change the life of Herman Munene, a man accused of killing former Nyeri MP John Nderitu Githua.
Mr. Munene was released after Judge Jairus Ngaah ruled that the prosecution only provided circumstantial evidence, which was not enough to convict him.
The case dates back to December 5, 2009, when Mr. Githua was found dead in his three-roomed house in Gathugu.
According to the court, Mr. Githua's body was discovered by a neighbour, James Murefu, who had been herding goats nearby.
Mr. Murefu testified that as he drove the goats out, he saw Mr. Githua covered in a blanket on the floor, with a bottle of alcohol and a cup nearby.
However, despite the testimony of 21 prosecution witnesses, none of them saw Mr. Munene murder Mr. Githua.
Furthermore, a pathologist's report showed that the body injuries and cause of death were triggered by another person, not Mr. Munene.
Despite this, the police failed to investigate the murder case, the judge noted.
Mr. Githua served as an MP under the Independence party Kanu in 1982.
