The magistrate Wednesday evening ordered Mr Irungu remanded for 10 days to facilitate further investigations. The court also ruled that he be taken to hospital.
The suspect, who was arrested in Lang’ata, told the police that after the shooting, he returned to Ms Maribe’s house, and was taken to Nairobi West Hospital.
In his statement, Mr Irungu said he went to Lang’ata Hospital for treatment the same evening, and that he was admitted until Monday morning.
But through his lawyers, Mr Sam Nyaberi, Mr Lawrence Mbaabu and Mr Mugambi Laichena, Mr Irungu said that he had sought treatment at Kijabe Hospital, which is 65 kilometres from Nairobi.
Ms Nyawira was murdered and her body placed inside a bathtub with her hands tied together, her mouth sealed with adhesive tape and her throat slit. Detectives said their leads so far have only linked Mr Irungu to the murder.
Police said preliminary investigations had established that the suspect was in the vicinity of the scene of crime, a line which they are pursuing as well as analysing data from a mobile service provider to establish his movements during the time of the incident.
The deceased’s car and mobile phone have been confiscated with a view to conducting further forensic analysis in connection with the murder. A preliminary investigation indicated that both the car and the deceased’s phone were at the scene of the incident.
Several witnesses have positively identified Mr Irungu as having been at the woman’s house on the night of the murder through an identification parade conducted at Kilimani Police Station on September 25. The investigation is expected to be extended to South Sudan were Ms Nyawira is said to have returned from on the fateful day.