A Nairobi court has ruled that seven people accused of violently robbing former Kabete MP George Muchai, his two bodyguards and a driver have a case to answer.
In her brief ruling, trial magistrate Roseline Oganyo said that after analysing evidence adduced by 36 witnesses she found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against all the accused persons.
The accused persons are namely Erick Isabwa, alias chairman, Raphael Gachii, alias Kim Butcher, Kimani Anyonyi, alias Musto, Stephen Lipapo, alias Chokora, Jane Wanjiru, alias Shiro, and Margaret Wachuiri and Simon.
"I accordingly put all of them on their defence," said the magistrate.
The seven have denied nine counts of violent robbery.
They are separately also accused of murdering Muchai, his two bodyguards Samuel Kalikia and Samuel Matanta, and driver Stephen Wambugu on the night of February 6 and 7,2015 on Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi.
They are further accused of robbing Michael Gituto of a vehicle and other personal property all worth Sh416,000
During the previous hearing a newspaper vendor, Ronald Nyangeres Siang’o, told the court that he was handing a newspaper to Muchai, who had been his customer for seven years when a white car came and blocked the MP's vehicle.
"A man wearing a mask came out of the vehicle armed with a G3 rifle and started firing at Muchai's vehicle," said the witness.
In his evidence, chief Siang’o said a lone gunman stepped out of a white car which had stopped in front of “mheshimiwa’s” and “just started shooting.”
“He first shot at the driver who I had given the newspapers to and had turned to hand them to mheshimiwa who was in the backseat… I heard about eight gunshots,” the witness said.
“I knew Mheshimiwa well as I had sold him newspapers for more than seven years,” Sian’go said.
He said when the late MP’s car pulled over along Kenyatta Avenue his driver beckoned him to bring the newspapers.
He said the late Muchai was killed before he paid for the four copies of newspapers he had handed to the driver.
“The white car appeared shortly after the one carrying the MP pulled over and stopped directly in front of it as if to block it," the witness said.
He said a masked tall man stepped out of the co-driver’s side and was armed with a gun.
The witness was shown a G-3 rifle which he said looked like the killer weapon he saw on the fateful day.
“He shot without provocation, he stepped out and started shooting, first at the driver, I fell to the ground and left my bunch of newspapers on the ground,” the witness said.
He said he ran towards Parliament to save his life and did not return to the spot for two weeks.
“I was hurt when I fell on the ground and when I went to the hospital at daybreak, I heard that Muchai had been killed alongside his three bodyguards,” the witness said.
The suspects were reportedly arrested after two guns, one believed to have been used in the actual shooting and another snatched from one of Muchai’s bodyguards, were found in their possession.
The late MP was accosted at around 3 am the city center as he was being driven home from a family gathering at Galileo’s restaurant in Westlands, Nairobi.
