This archive report was first published on 28 November 2019.
Joseph Irungu, the key suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, has been denied bail for the second time, forcing him to spend his second Christmas in remand.
Justice James Wakiaga made the ruling on Thursday, directing Jowie to remain in custody until February 13, 2020, when a ruling on his bail application will be made.
Meanwhile, the hearing of the murder case against Jowie and his co-accused journalist Jacque Maribe will resume in March 2020.
On Thursday, Kembo, Maribe's househelp, testified in the trial, recounting how she saw Jowie groaning in pain with a gunshot wound in Maribe's house on the fateful night of September 19, 2018, when Monica Kimani was murdered.
With 15 witnesses already testifying, 10 more are expected to take the stand in the murder trial.
Despite filing a fresh bail application last week, citing suffering at the Kamiti Maximum Prison, Jowie's plea was denied by the court.
He had pleaded with the court to consider the time he has already been in custody and free him, assuring the court that if released, 'I have no intent to go anywhere.'
Maribe, who was granted bail in October 2018, was freed on grounds that she was not a flight risk and would not interfere with witnesses.
However, the court denied Jowie bail, ruling that he has extensively traveled to the Middle East with no known assets in the country, and his willingness to surrender his passport is no guarantee that he will not jump bail or abscond court.
