Contradictions emerged yesterday as a close friend of the top suspect in the Monica Kimani's murder claimed that Joseph Irungu aka Jowi shot himself in a botched suicide attempt.
Businessman Brian Kasaine, 35, said Irungu had on September 11, borrowed his Ceska pistol for "training", minus any bullets.
Maribe was yesterday detained for another 10 days by a Kiambu court which allowed DCI investigators to press on with their investigations.
Kiambu Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku allowed police to detain Maribe for ten more days to facilitate further investigation. She will be detained at Gigiri Police Station where she has been spending the nights since her arrest last Saturday.
Also detained is Irungu who has been linked to the murder of Nyawira. Investigators last Friday visited a spot in the langata home where Irungu is said to have burnt some clothes including a kanzu.
A description of a man wearing a Kanzu together with a second man has been given about the two vistors who visited Nyawira at her apartment before she was discovered dead.
Kasaine said he was at his Royal Park estate house in Langata on September 21 when he was woken up at around midnight by someone banging on his gate.
He hesitated opening the gate but when the banging persisted, he concluded it could only be either Maribe or Irungu who were in the habit of running to him whenever they had a fight.
“They fought frequently,”Kasaine said.
Reports of the frequent fighting between the two were confirmed by another neighbour who said the couple “fought alot.” Kasaine said when he opened the gate, he found Irungu lying on the ground bleeding from his left shoulder.
Kasaine said Irungu shot himself in an attempt to commit suicide after a fight with Maribe.
“If you wanted to see me dead now it has happened! “ Irungu shouted at Maribe who had followed him to
Kasaine’s house.
Irungu told Kasaine he had a fight with Maribe who threw his clothes down the stairs. Irungu said she was present when he shot himself in their bedroom. He asked Kasaine to take the pistol he had borrowed. Kasaine hid the gun in the ceiling of his house before taking Irungu to hospital for treatment.
According to Kasaine, he took Irungu to Kijabe Mission Hospital for treatment. Irungu sought attention from a nerve specialist but was referred to Aga Khan hospital for an MRI to investigate whether there was any nerve damage.
Kasaine said they eventually ended up at Nairobi West hospital where Irungu was
treated.The next day, on September 22 , Irungu and Maribe reported to Langata police that they had been attacked by criminals on their way home the previous night during which Irungu was shot.
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The incident report filed at the Langata police indicates that Irungu claimed that while driving home, he saw two men on a motorbike who trailed them from Kilimani through Kibera to their residence in Langata.
Police investigations have revealed that Irungu picked up Maribe from a bar in Kilimani where together with friends they were having drinks. It was around 11pm. It took them around 30 minutes to get to their house.
Irungu claimed that after dropping Maribe home at aroound 11.30, he drove back to confront the two men who had been trailing them and who were waiting a few metres away from the house.
It has, however, emerged that Irungu did not leave the house as he alleged. He is reported to have engaged in a confrontation with Maribe and shortly after shot himself.
According to his statement, Irungu claims that one of the men on the motorbike drew a gun and
shot him. In her statement recorded at Kilimani police station last Friday,Maribe corrobates what Irungu told the Langata police about being followed by two men in a motorbike and how later one of them shot her boyfriend.
Police investigators recovered the Ceska pistol as well as 50 bullets from Kasaine’s house.The pistol will be tested to confirm its the same one Irungu used to shoot himself.
Yesterday , the Kiambu magistrate also allowed the police to hold Kassaine for 11 days at the Langata police station. The police believe that Kassaine will provide details to unravel the murder of Nyawira.
Initially , DCI officers at Kilimani wanted Kassaine treated as a prosecution witness in the case against Irungu but he was arrested and locked up on Saturday evening following instruction from senior officers at the DCI headquarters.
Kassaine, who was presented before Kiambu Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku on Monday, will spend 11 more days in a police cell.
He will be held at the Nairobi Langata Police Station.
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