Citizen TV journalist Jacque Maribe has requested the court to grant her a Ksh350,000 bail in exchange for release. According to the Standard, Maribe made the request in a sworn affidavit filed with the court. She further dismissed claims that she is likely to interfere with witnesses due to her high profile status.
In her view, her humble circumstances had been exaggerated and hence her personal standing in the society should not be used as a basis to deny her bail.
“The only reasons I am standing trial are that I was in love with a person the prosecution have interest in.
“I allowed him to come live in my house and I allowed him to use my vehicle. There is no witness or forensic material to associate me with the murder,” Maribe argued.
The family of the slain Monica Nyawira Kimani has, however, appealed against releasing Maribe and Joseph Kuria Irungu on bail saying the two would endanger their (kin) lives. “The fact that the motive of my sister’s murder is unknown poses a greater danger to the family since we are not sure whether it could have been an onslaught against our family, which began with my sister,” Monica’s brother George Kimani swore in an affidavit.
Kimani further claimed that Irungu knew where he lived and was not a total stranger to his family. He further argued that a release on bail would be premature as police were still looking for another person believed to have been with Irungu the night Monica was killed. Justice James Wakiaga on Wednesday allowed the accused to file affidavits if they wished to respond to claims by Monica’s family and the DPP in opposing their application for bail.