New Judge to Preside Over Jowie Irungu's Murder Case

File image of Jowie Irungu in court on November 21, 2019
File image of Jowie Irungu in court on November 21, 2019.
The Standard

The murder case against Jowie Irungu will get a new presiding judge following the transfer of Justice James Wakiaga. 

According to a communication seen by Kenyans.co.ke Justice James Wakiaga was transferred from his present station at the criminal division to the anti-corruption division.

The documents stated that the transfer will take effect on November 1, 2020. Wakiaga was among 42 others who were reshuffled.

Justice James Wakiaga during a past court session
Justice James Wakiaga during a past court session
File

Nimrod Matunda, a lawyer, argued that some of the transfers would hamper expeditious delivery of decisions. 

According to Paul Karugu, a law researcher who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke, when  judges are transferred, they have to hand over their case files to the new jurist who takes over.

"Transferring a judge from one court to another or even ranked to leave the current bench, is similar to leaving meat in the own pot awaiting another cook to give the same results. The cases handled in that court are left for the next presiding judge," he explained.

Justice Wakiaga was thrust into the limelight when he branded Jowie a 'woman eater' during a past hearing of Jowie's murder case. 

“The picture that emerges from the prosecution’s evidence as set out here-in-above and the pre-bail report of the accused is that he’s a male version of a slay queen which for lack of better terminology I’ll call a woman-eater,” he stated during Jowie's bail application on October 2018.

Jowie lodged a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) chaired by Chief Justice David Maraga terming the label ‘foul and degrading'.

“By describing me as a woman-eater, the judge abused his position and compounded the female gender to be nothing less than items to be eaten which is quite foul, degrading coming from a sitting judge,” part of the letter read.

“Indeed the judge used the most uncouth, derogatory and injudicious language against me as being a male version of a slay queen,” he added.

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie pictured outside a Kiambu court on September 26, 2018
Joseph Irungu alias Jowie pictured outside a Kiambu court on September 26, 2018
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