Policeman, businessman to hang for killing former MP's son

By Wahome Thuku

A police inspector and a businessman have been sentenced to death for killing the son of former Assistant Minister Patrick Muiruri.

High Court Judge Mohammed Warsame convicted Inspector Dickson Munene and Alex Chepkonga for the 2009 murder.

The two were found guilty of the murder last week but the judge put the sentencing on hold to give the State time to prepare a victim-impact statement from the family of Muiruri, the former Gatundu North MP.

Former Gatundu North MP, Patrick Muiruri with his wife. Muiruri's son Dr James Ng'ang'a was shot dead in 2009. His murderers have been sentenced to death. Photo: Ann Kamoni/Standard

Last week, Justice Warsame in an unprecedented move, allowed Muiruri, Munene and Chepkonga’s families to meet at a Nairobi hotel to discuss how they could reconcile.

Dr James Ng’ang’a, a law lecturer in the UK, was shot three times at dawn on January 24, 2009 following a brawl at Crooked-Q nightclub in Westlands, Nairobi.

Ng’ang’a was in Kenya on Christmas vacation and had been drinking the night away in the company of his brother John Gachera and Ms Jedidah Ahawa.

Chepkonga was in the company of Munene and four other men. The two groups of youthful revellers began fighting prompting the club security guards to intervene. They drove away in four cars after being thrown out of the club.

Ng’ang’a was shot dead several metres down the road.

In his judgment, Warsame said he was convinced that the death was as a result of gunshots fired by Munene using a pistol officially issued to him.

The prosecution called 23 witnesses whom Warsame said were truthful and their evidence credible.

Defence lawyer Kioko Kilukumi had advanced the argument that Ng’ang’a was shot as he tried to grab the gun from Munene, but the judge rejected that theory holding that the death was a clear case of intended fatal shooting.

"The two accused persons formed a common intention to kill the deceased," the judge said after retracing the movement of all the revellers from the club to the time of the shooting.

"The force used by the accused was unnecessary and unreasonable," the judge said. On Wednesday the defence lawyers asked for leniency saying their clients were remorseful and that they had no criminal records.