Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's name featured in a witness' testimony during the murder trial of former Citizen TV presenter Jacque Maribe on Wednesday, November 27.
According to a report first published by K24 Digital, a witness identified as Chelagat Ruto told the court that on one of the days that police suspect Monica Kimani was killed (September 19, 2018) at her apartment, Maribe was in the company of Sonko alongside others.
Chelegat claims to have arrived at Citizen TV studios on that day upon the invitation of the governor who was to be a guest at renowned journalist Jeff Koinange JKLive show that evening.
"While at Citizen, I parked my vehicle, a white Range Rover, at Q-Lounge and accessed Citizen premises alongside Sonko's. While there, I met Jacque, who requested us to wait for her to complete the day’s work so that she could accompany us to 40Forty Lounge,” the court heard.
The witness claimed to have met Maribe back in 2017 when she served in Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja's campaign team and had since struck a friendship with the suspect.
The two, she testified, together with Sonko's entourage and Chelegat's friend only identified as Juliet left for 40Forty, an entertainment joint in Westlands.
"Joseph Irungu 'Jowie' joined us at around 1 a.m. on Thursday, September 20. He chose a table of two, which was located a few meters from where we were seated. He took beer,” she recounted.
The witness also mentioned that he was with Jowie before leaving for Citizen TV and when he joined them at the entertainment joint, he was still dressed in the same outfit – brown khaki pants, a white T-shirt and a maroon cap.
The witness also narrated that at around 4 a.m., she left the nightspot alongside her friend, Juliet, while Maribe and Jowie left in the former's car.
Chelagat disclosed that she only came to learn of that Maribe and Jowie had been linked to the murder a few days later, and the accusations took her by surprise.
