Justice Grace Nzioka on Friday, March 8, expressed her frustrations over constant condemnation in the Jowie Irungu and Jacque Maribe case.
Nzioka while addressing the court during the sentencing of Jowie Irungu, claimed she had been castigated for adjourning the murder case.
“The most disappointing bit, which I must go out clearly, because I have become a victim of condemnation for adjourning this matter and that tells you why I came back here,” Nzioka stated.
While issuing a clarification on the reasons for adjourning the case, the judge noted that it was important to put blame where it was due.
The case faced its first adjournment in October of the previous year when it was rescheduled to January 26, 2024, due to the reported illness of Lady Justice Nzioka.
Subsequently, a new date of December 15, 2023, was designated for the case; however, the delivery of the verdict was postponed once again to January 26, 2024.
On January 26, the proceedings were adjourned after Jacque Maribe's advocate, Katwa Kigen, informed the court of her indisposition. The judgment date was subsequently set for March 15.
On February 9, during the ruling where Irungu was convicted of murder, Justice Nzioka clarified that she chose to deliver the judgment on the scheduled date due to the absence of a case that was supposed to be mentioned on that day.
Additionally, she emphasized that her decision to pronounce the verdict on February 9 was made in the pursuit of justice.
"This judgment was supposed to be delivered March 15 this year, but in the course of the week I discovered that I had a free Friday which is today because the matters that I was supposed to hear today were not going to take off," Justice Nzioka noted.
On March 8, Justice Nzioka further postponed Jowie's sentencing date to March 13 due to a delayed submission by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the victim's family, and Jowie's lawyer.
The judge instructed that the responses from all parties involved in the case be filed by Tuesday, March 12, to facilitate the delivery of the sentence on March 13.
