State wants ex-MP's brother put on his defence for murder

Caesar Thiari when he appeared before High Court Judge Jairus Ngaah for the killing of his mother in 2014. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

The State has asked a court to put a former MP's brother on his defence for allegedly killing his mother.

In his submissions, State counsel Festus Njue said evidence tendered in court pointed to a well-orchestrated plan by Caesar Thiari to kill his mother, Rose Wachera, 70, on July 27, 2014.

Mr Thiari is a brother of former Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando.

Mr Njue yesterday told High Court judge Jairus Ngaah that numerous witness accounts placed Thiari at the scene of Wachera's murder at their Kaini home in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County.

“Circumstantially, testimonies adduced in court have put the accused at the epicentre of the crime scene and therefore, we pray that the accused be put on his defence,” the counsel argued.

According him, evidence by Lydia Wairimu, a neighbour who was the first person to arrive at the scene, indicated that the cause of death was not natural, but by the actions of another person.

“Wairimu said she heard screams and when she entered the compound, she found Wachera lying in a pool of blood. Beside her was a panga,” he explained.

Ms Wairimu testified that she had heard the accused threaten his mother and soon afterwards heard her screaming for help.

On her way to the compound, Njue submitted, the witness met the accused coming out of the compound and saying, "Nimemaliza kazi (I have completed the job)."

Gong by the nature of the attack, the prosecutor noted, there was no doubt Thiari had a motive to kill his mother since the victim had deeps cuts on the neck.

Njue stated that DNA samples on a blood-stained T-shirt worn by the accused and which was produced as an exhibit matched those found on the panga found near the deceased.

“Postmortem reports further demonstrate that Wachera died as a result of severe bleeding from deep injuries inflicted by a sharp object on the neck,” he observed.

Similar narratives, Njue stated, were given by many of the 16 witnesses who testified in the trial, and they all pointed at the accused.

During the trial, it emerged that psychiatrists at Mathari Hospital had diagnosed Thiari with schizophrenia.

Thiari’s lawyer, Kimani Njuguna, declined to make any submission.