This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the murder trial of lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda, and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri. An employee at the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Nairobi terminus took the stand, facing intense questioning from the defense.
The court heard that the national ID card of Moses Kariithi was used to register a new mobile phone line, which was later traced to the scene of the crime at Ol Donyo Sabuk. The SIM card was registered on June 22, 2016, just a day before the killings.
During cross-examination, the witness denied any knowledge of the Airtel line, claiming he had previously lost his national ID card twice. He also strongly dismissed allegations that he was the person known as 'Kamenchu', who was said to have been with the accused persons at the murder scene.
Meanwhile, the defense objected to the prosecution's request to produce DVDs and transcripts recorded at various scenes of the crime, citing concerns that the fifth accused person's right to a fair hearing would be violated.
So far, 40 witnesses have testified against the five accused persons, including four AP officers and a police informer.
