• Monica's hands were bound and blood was oozing from her mouth and nose.
• George Kimani had a hard time testifying as the prosecution took him through pictures of Monica’s body.
Image: ENOS TECHE
A brother of murdered businesswoman Monica Kimani on Wenesday relived the grim scene that greeted him when he discovered his sister’s body in a bloodied bathtub.
George Kimani said Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, who has been charged alongside his ex-fiancée Jacque Maribe with the killing, said he had a security firm that would help in investigations.
George had a hard time testifying as the prosecution took him through pictures of Monica’s body. At some point, lead prosecutor Wangui Gichui felt the photos had resulted in overwhelming emotion.
“I apologise for that,” Gichui told George.
George stamped his left foot, his hands held akimbo. At times he fidgeted in an apparent move to get a temporary distraction. Then he went on. “When I discovered Monica’s body at her Lamuria Gardens Apartment in Kilimani, Off Dennis Pritt Road, her hands were bound and blood was oozing from her mouth and nose,” he said.
He explained that when he and his girlfriend arrived in Monica’s house on September 20 last year at around noon, the door had been locked but they could hear the sound of running water from the kitchen. They knocked several times but no one answered. All the while, they could also hear her Television was on.
They sought a caretaker’s help to find out whether Monica was in. Her BMW car was at the parking bay. “I asked the guards and they said they didn’t have a spare key. We went back, knocked again, no response,” George said.
A gardener then accessed the house through the balcony window, which was open. He found Monica dead and was utterly shocked. In the midst of that confusion, the gardener couldn’t do anything. Hence, a caretaker stepped in and used a hammer to break the doorknob. It was then that George went in and found Monica in the bathtub lying sideways — her dress halfway pulled and her pantie torn.
“On her head was a hand shower that was on, her hands were tied with white straps, and another white strap was used to tie her leg,” he told the court.
Image: ENOS TECHE
George explained that when the murder happened, they wanted it aired on TV. He proceeded to call Jowie with whom he said he had schooled in 2012 at Kenya Polytechnic, now the Technical University of Kenya. They had enrolled for a food and beverage course.
He said he texted Jowie and told him what had transpired. Jowie then called him on WhatsApp and asked what had happened. As they spoke, the call disconnected, he said. Jowie called again.
“If you involve the media, this case won’t go far. I run a security company and I can help you trace who did this,” George quoted Jowie as having said.
George added, however, that they were interested in having the gruesome murder of his sister aired and wanted media coverage.
“I contacted Jowie because I thought he would assist with media coverage and I knew he had a fiance at citizen TV so I knew he could assist,” he said.
Later, George’s father went with his uncle to Citizen and the media went to the scene. The court also heard that on the last day of August last year, Monica, after arriving from Juba, went out with George and his girlfriend Beatrice.
Jowie was to join them but didn’t. He, however, came to the apartment after the trio were back from a night out in Club 40 at around 1 am.
George said they took drinks and later Monica and Beatrice went to bed. Jowie slept on the couch as he was too wasted. George also slept in the sitting room but when he woke up, Jowie had already left.
According to George, Monica had a boyfriend by the name Yassir Mohamed and they stayed together. Yassir was a Sudanese national and was the country director of Caterpillar Inc. The hearing continues.
(Edited by F'Orieny)