“Gravely indisposed” Jackie Maribe decries humiliation in Monica Kimani murder case
Former prime time TV news anchor Jacky Maribe has hit out at her detractors, whom she did not name, for humiliating her as she goes through court processes where she is facing murder charges alongside her ex-boyfriend, Jowie Irungu.
The case has been high profile owing to Ms Maribe’s renowned status and her fall from grace to grass in the media industry.
On January 26, 2024, Ms Maribe did not show up in court where Justice Grace Nzioka was set to deliver her judgement in the case in which business woman Monica Kimani was murdered in September 2018.
Mr Irungu and Ms Maribe are the prime suspects.
Mr Katwa Kigen, Ms Maribe’s lawyer, claimed she could not appear in court because she was “gravely indisposed” despite being ready for the judgement.
Immediately, netizens began linking her being “gravely indisposed” with a post updated on her Instagram hours before the judgement about her potential weekend plans.
“Things to see and do this weekend…Qatar how you doing??” wrote Ms Maribe on her Instagram stories.
This is the third time the judgement reading is being adjourned. Hours after Justice Nzioka adjourned the the reading of the judgement to March 15, 2024, Ms Maribe returned to her social media to decry the humiliation she is undergoing.
“To humiliate someone because of ill health is so wrong. And to make it clear, I have never missed court except once when I was ill. We are making it an issue that in 5 years I fell ill. Kwani mwili yangu imejengwa na matofali? (Is my body made of bricks?) Hata the time I supposedly sought time to travel we were only being respectable enough to tell the court and there was no due date interfering with that,” wrote Ms Maribe on January 26, 2024.
In December 2023, Ms Maribe, on her social platform again, complained about the court case being dragged out for years.
“It needs to stop!! 5 years I have respected the court, but also this is too much. This is not Kenya, Justice delayed is justice denied. Stop putting people’s live at limbo. If I am not culpable I’m not. I’m tired of this,” ranted Ms Maribe.
She followed up the ranting post with another one where she was looking forward to celebrating her birthday, posting a photo of her hand, bearing a wedding ring, resting over pink and white flowers.
“How to start your morning when stressed over court…” Ms Maribe captioned the photo.
Ms Monica Kimani was brutally murdered in her Lamuria Garden apartment on September 19, 2018. She had just arrived from South Sudan and met up with friends. She was found dead after numerous phone calls by her brother, Mr George Kimani, were unanswered, forcing him to go to her house. Ms Kimani was found dead in her bathtub.
Jowie Irungu was placed at the scene of the crime following investigations and Ms Maribe was linked to the murder for assisting Mr Irungu to destroy evidence linked to the crime. The prosecution argued before court that the duo had a common intention and “acted in convert to eliminate the deceased.”
The duo denied murdering Ms Kimani.
If found guilty, Jowie and Maribe could be sentenced to death, face life imprisonment or sentenced to prison terms.
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