12/03/2020 UPDATE:
Media personality Joe Muchiri, a close personal friend of Irungu, revealed that Irungu was released on bond and not bail as reported by multiple outlets. He disclosed that the family had struggled to raise the Ksh2 million bail with sureties and opted to post bond.
"Jowie was successfully released yesterday in the evening after the family succeeded in fulfilling the bond requirements as ordered by the court. The bail was too much, it was 2 million cash and 3 sureties of the same which was 8 million in total. Friends & strangers to Jowie contributed but the monies was not enough especially in this crazy Jubilee economy, so the family opted for choice number 2 and tried as much as they could to get the bond of 3 million and 3 sureties of the same.
"The funds contributed through the sister's account went to the lawyer's fees which as you can imagine for the last 16 months has been a bit high, for now he is out and in Nakuru as ordered by the court. The case resumes next week in Milimani," Muchiri wrote on Twitter.
Murder suspect Joseph 'Jowie' Irungu was released from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison on Wednesday, March 11 after posting his bond.
Irungu was on Thursday, February 13 granted a Ksh2 million cash bail with 3 sureties of the same amount or Ksh3 million bond with three sureties.
His friends then launched an appeal to well-wishers urging them to contribute funds towards Jowie's bail.
When granting the bail, Wakiaga had directed the suspect not to comment on the case in the media.
The private security contractor was also ordered to check in with his area chief at the end of every month.
Jowie was arrested on September 25, 2018, and charged with murder following the gruesome death of 28-year-old Monica Kimani in her Kilimani apartment.
His fiance, former Citizen TV presenter Jacque Maribe, was arrested four days later as it emerged that she had spent some time with Jowie on the night of the fateful murder.
Maribe was, however, released on a Ksh2 million bond on October 30, 2018.
Kimani was found dead in her apartment in Nairobi's Kilimani area on September 20, 2018 sitting in her bathtub with her throat slit open.
The gruesome murder made national headlines and it soon emerged that Jowie was the last person seen leaving the apartment on the night of Kimani's murder.
Monica's body was discovered by her brother, George Kimani, who arrived at the apartment to check on her after failing to reach her on the phone the previous night.
Irungu was a former schoolmate of Kimani, having both studied at the Kenya Polytechnic, now Technical University of Kenya.
He provided security to high-profile politicians in the Jubilee Party during the 2017 General Elections and previously worked in Dubai as a security contractor.
Watch a video of Jowie leaving the prison below:
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