This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
On April 20 and 21, 2019, a tragic incident occurred at Delmonte farm in Gatanga sub-county, where a 25-year-old man named Bernard Murigi lost his life after being assaulted by five guards.
According to police, Murigi was part of a group that strayed into the farm allegedly to steal pineapples, but an encounter with the guards turned fatal. The suspects, Paul Ndung'u, Josphat Ng'ang'a, Maranga Joel, Moses Ebongon Lokadeli, and George Musyimi, have been charged with murder.
On July 12, 2019, the five guards appeared before Murang'a High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo, where they denied the charge. Their lawyer, Mbiyu Kamau, appealed for bail, stating that his clients were not a flight risk and would comply with any conditions set by the court.
The court ordered that the bail application be heard on July 23, 2019, when a pre-bail report would be presented. Deputy Senior Director of Public Prosecution Sebastian Mutinda informed the court that several witnesses would testify during the proceedings.
Murigi's body was found dumped at Mabanda area along Thika-Gatanga-Kirwara Road and later collected and moved to General Kago Mortuary in Thika, where it was identified by relatives.
