Maribe: I was with Sonko the night Monica Kimani was killed

Journalist Jacqueline Maribe has claimed she was with former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko on the night businesswoman Monica Kimani was murdered.

Maribe, who is facing the murder charge alongside her former fiancée Joseph Irungu alias Jowie, also denied ever meeting Ms Kimani.

She also denied ever having any conversation with her or hatching any plot to kill the businesswoman.

“I left my workplace at Royal Media Services and went to a club in Westlands with Governor Sonko’s entourage. I did not even meet with Jowie who at the time was my fiancée as he only joined us later at the club and sat on a different table,” said Maribe.

The former Citizen TV news anchor was giving her testimony to defend herself in the murder of Ms Kimani after being found with a case to answer.

According to Maribe, she had no common intention to kill Ms Kimani since she was not at the scene of the murder.

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Maribe said she never discussed anything relating to the late businesswoman with Jowie.

She said she only came to know about the death while at work.

“I came to find out about Ms Kimani’s murder just like any other Kenyan when I was reading the news on Citizen TV. I never knew her, never discussed anything about her with Jowie and had no motive to have her dead,” said Maribe.

She stated that on the night of Ms Kimani’s murder on September 19 2018, Jowie dropped her at work in the morning where she was until after 10 pm before they went to Club Forty-Forty in Westlands.

Maribe testified that when she was leaving work at around 9.30 pm, she met with Sonko’s entourage since the ex-governor was going for an interview at the station.

“Sonko asked me to wait and at his request, I stayed at the station until 10 pm then went to Q-Lounge with his two handlers. We were watching his live interview on my phone until it went off,” she told the court.

According to Maribe, she had also met her three friends who accompanied Sonko to the studio she identified as June Ndegwa, Chelangat Ruto and Anita Gumbi who had also requested her company for a girls’ night out.

She testified that while at Q-Lounge, one of her managers called Monica Kiragu came looking for her and told her that Jowie was looking for her but her phone was switched off.

“I spoke with Jowie through my colleague’s phone and informed him that we were going to Club Forty-Forty with Sonko’s entourage. I asked him if he could follow us to the place and he did,” said Maribe.

She told the court that they arrived at the club a few minutes past midnight and had food and drinks until 4 am when they left for home with Jowie.

Maribe confirmed that it was true Jowie was using her vehicle but that she was not in control of what he did with the vehicle when they were not together.

On the prosecution’s claims that she helped Jowie to burn his clothes and destroy evidence after committing the alleged murder, the ex-journalist said it was a lie since they did not destroy any evidence.

“The area where they claim we burnt the clothes is a public disposal area where any resident at the estate disposed their waste. It is untrue that I helped the first accused burn his clothes,” said Maribe.

Justice Grace Nzioka directed the prosecution and the defence lawyers to file their submissions within the next 14 days and scheduled the case for highlighting of submissions on June 26.