Bail plea in Wangechi murder case on May 27

The High Court will on May 27 determine whether to give bail to Naftali Njoroge who is accused of murdering Moi University medical student Ivy Wangechi.

Justice Stephen Githinji directed the prosecution to file a probation report on Naftali before the hearing of the bail application.

Wangechi's family, through lawyers Githinji Kiroko Ndegwa and Carolyne King'ori is opposed to the accused being given bond or bail.

“We believe it’s in the best interest of justice that the accused be tried while in custody,” said Ndegwa.

Ndegwa said they would file two responses from Wangechi’s mother and the investigating officer in the case.

“We are representing the victims in this case. As per the law, they have the right to participate in the case,” he said.

He said “after having interred the remains of the deceased, we realised that there were many witnesses at the scene of the crime but they have not been called to give evidence because of reasons we know. We will call the same witnesses to come and tell the court what happened.”

Ndegwa said some of the witnesses had confessed to the family what exactly happened but the same details were not part of what had been provided in court by the prosecution.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has listed eight witnesses but Ndegwa said they would produce more if allowed by the court.

Naftali has denied killing Wangechi on April 9 outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.  He was armed with an axe and a knife.

His lawyer, Mbiu Kamau had on April 30 applied for Naftali's release on bond, but the court rejected the application.

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