Kerugoya court adjourns hearing of Patrick Gitonga's murder case until April 20 next year
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She has hands that can seek wealth and can also kill.
Those were the words Wanguru Zacharia told a Kerugoya court during her testimony against Cecily Maitha who is accused of killing her son Patrick Gitonga.
Gitonga was a prominent Embu businessman until he was found murdered in their house at Peae village in Kirinyaga county on March 29, 2018.
Maitha, Gitonga's wife, has been charged with the murder.
While testifying before the Kerugoya High Court on Tuesday, Wanguru said Gitonga and Maitha had a rocky marriage.
Wanguru, 81, said the couple had fallen out days before her son was killed. She said Maitha had fled their matrimonial home and visited her at Kiritiri village in Embu county where she stayed for two days.
At the time, Wanguru told the court, Gitonga did not want anything to do with Maitha.
"She told me she wanted to take a shower so she could go back home and prepare children for school. She then put her hands together and said she has hands that can seek wealth and hands that can also kill," Wanguru said.
Maitha, a secondary school teacher in Embu, is out on a Sh5 million bond.
Wanguru told the court Gitonga wanted to marry another woman with whom he already had a daughter.
The court heard that Gitonga had introduced Charity Nyawira as a woman he intended to marry as a second wife.
"Days before Gitonga was murdered, we had a get-together during which he told us he was going to marry Nyawira. He said he was going to pay her dowry. Both Maitha and Nyawira were present," Wanguru said.
Another witness Leonard Githinji, Gitonga's nephew who used to manage his businesses, said the man was living in fear for his life.
Githinji said Gitonga had disclosed to him his property but warned him not to tell Maitha about it.
On the tragic day, Githinji said he received a call at about 10 pm informing him there had been a fight at Gitonga’s house and that the man needed to be rushed to hospital.
"Upon arrival, I found a huge crowd gathered in the compound. Maitha was seated a few meters from the house near the packing," Githinji said.
Githinji said he arrived with police officers from Wanguru police station. They entered the house and found the body of Gitonga in the bedroom. His dismembered head was on the floor.
The witnesses were taken through their testimonies by assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Fredrick Ashimosi.
Justice Lucy Gitari adjourned the hearings until April 20 and 21 next year. The state has lined up 16 witnesses in the murder case.
edited by p. obuya