Reprieve for Aisha Jumwa as DPP Seeks to Withdraw Murder Case

Public Service CS, Aisha Jumwa, addresses the press in November 2022.
Public Service CS, Aisha Jumwa, addresses the press in November 2022.
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The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Wednesday, November 30, applied to withdraw a murder case against Public Service Cabinet Secretary, Aisha Jumwa. 

The application was made in a virtual session before High Court Judge Ann Onginjo. 

Consequently, the DPP requested to have Jumwa appear as a state witness in the case instead of a suspect going forward. 

Former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa during parliament vetting on Tuesday October 18, 2022
Former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa during parliament vetting on Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Citizen Digital

However, Justice Onginjo raised his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the application was filed and subsequently set a date when the DPP will present a formal application. 

DPP Noordin Haji's side approved Jumwa's lawyers' earlier request to have the charges against Aisha Jumwa dropped. 

Jumwa is expected to personally appear in court on December 21, for the hearing of the case. 

CS Jumwa was charged with the murder of Gumbao Jola in 2019 alongside her bodyguard, after an altercation that occurred in a polling station in Kilifi. 

However, the CS has consistently distanced herself from the death of the slain man. 

If approved, this would be the second case against the CS to be dropped within less than two months.

In October, the DPP dropped charges against Jumwa in a case accuse that accused her of misappropriation of Ksh19 million allocated for the Malindi Constituency Development Fund (CDF). 

The withdrawal of the charges was met with contestations from various quarters as questions emerged on the procedure followed by the prosecution's head. 

Jumwa was among the Cabinet Secretaries in President William Ruto's government with active court cases during the time of their nomination. 

Public Service CS, Aisha Jumwa, in office after her inauguration on October 27, 2022
Public Service CS, Aisha Jumwa, in office after her inauguration on October 27, 2022
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