Joseph Irungu aka Jowie Irungu was held behind bars for 500 days. This is after he was named as a suspect in the murder of Monica Njeri; that occurred in September 26, 2018.
Having been banned from commenting about the case whether to friends or social media; Jowie ensured to lay low as he awaits for his fate which remains unknown for now.
However having been behind bars (Kamiti) it appears that Jowie faced a different life that seems to have changed the man he once was! Well, after months of laying low, the fella has announced plans of venturing into the gospel industry!
As seen on his social media page, Jowie will in a few hours release a new song dubbed nishikilie. From the title it’s obvious to tell what he will be talking about since we all witnessed how things played out after his arrest.
Well this could be the beginning of something new for the fella who will now be in the same industry as Bahati, Willy Paul and the other funny characters in the mix!
Jowie in Kamiti prison
However Jowie could be venturing into the industry for a genuine reason – but with how the gospel music industry seems to be set up…will he really survive the criticism and thirsty approaches from the female species? Only God can tell.
Jowie’s announcement comes just a few days after singer Bahati announced his exit from the gospel music industry.
According to the fella he was now opting to make Love songs; but since he has so far featured 2 gengetone artists in his latest songs – i bet it’s safe to refer to him as a secular artist.
Below is a snippet of the yet to be released song!
Joseph Irungu popularly known as Jowie, urgently requires physiotherapy and not surgery according to a court hearing held yesterday.
According to Benjamin Wabwire, a Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon based at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the 28-year-old suffered nerve injury and now urgently needs a physiotherapy to stimulate nerves in the self-inflicted wound on his left chest or forever have a disabled limb.
“The most critical bit about him is that a part of his limb might end up in permanent problem if joints stiffen in one position. Therapy will be important,” Wabwire told the court.
Injury
Jowie suffered the injury on his arm in September after allegedly shooting himself on the chest while trying to commit suicide after the death of Monica Kimani. Jowie initially told police he sustained the injury after an attack right after dropping Jacque Maribe at her house.
“He had a nerve injury affecting the hand ….our initial plan was to do an MRI…the report is that the nerves are intact…He suffered from “shock wave,” added the doctor.
Joseph Irungu’s lawyer has told Justice James Wakiaga that his client is being tortured at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison where he was recently transferred to.
The claims come barely a week after Irungu’s friend Joe Muchiri revealed that he was in bad shape when he visited him at Kamiti during his birthday.
On Monday November 26th, Irungu’s lawyer David Ayuo say that his client is not only being mistreated at Kamiti but also denied medical attention for his gunshot wound, with painkillers being the only medication he has received.
“My client has not been given the specialised treatment at KNH (Kenyatta National Hospital)…we are also told that he was transferred to Kamiti and there are issues that have been raised by Jowie in regards to torture. He was denied admission at KNH…Despite the family paying Ksh.20,000 for his admission as advised by one doctor the hospital denied him admission,” Irungu’s lawyer told Justice James Wakiaga.
Joseph Irungu in court on November 26th 2018
Irungu was on November 12th taken to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for surgery on his arm but instead he was only given painkillers and sent away.
KNH refused to treat prisoners following a standoff with Prisons Department over unpaid bill amounting to Kes 31 million.
Justice Wakiaga directed that Irungu should be taken for treatment on Tuesday, regardless of what the prison owes the hospital.
An officer from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison however told the court that the earliest Irungu could be taken to hospital was on Wednesday since the prison vehicle will be at the Kibera Law Courts until 5pm on Tuesday.
Joseph Irungu alias ‘Jowie’ was incarcerated at Industrial area remand prison since he was first charged with the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
Irungu has since been moved to Kamiti maximum security prison. The move to transfer remandees from Industrial area prison started a few months ago when a number of capital remandees were moved to Kamiti after they turned rowdy.
Kamiti prison is better equipped to handle hardcore criminals compared to Industrial prison. Jowie’s friend Joe Muchiri has revealed how the latter is faring in Kamiti prison.
Joe Muchiri and Joseph Irungu before he was arrested in connection with the murder of Monica Juma
He’s really struggling
Joe Muchiri disclosed that Irungi is really struggling to cope with the environment in Kamiti. He said that the situation at the maximum security prison was really tough.
Joseph Irungu alias Jowie has come out to bash Justice James Wakiaga for calling him a woman eater.
In a letter to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Jowie denied ever “eating a woman or any human being at all” and said the definition was uncalled for.
Jowie through his lawyers has come out fighting to shake off the tag “woman eater”.
“Indeed the judge used the most uncouth, derogatory and injudicious language against me as being a male version of a slay queen,” Jowie wrote.
“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,” he went on.
Punish him
He also accused the judge of robbing him of his innocence by describing him as a “woman eater” and now wants him punished.
“The judge has already taken away my right of innocence until proven guilty, stripped me of my dignity, respect and my right to societal standing. In the words of the judge, I am a hopeless person who depends on women for sex and kills them if I must. In his mind, the judge is already convinced, believes and has pre-empted my guilt, awaiting conviction and sentence,” said Jowie.
“Indeed the judge used the most uncouth, derogatory and injudicious language against me as being a male version of a slay queen. I submit that disciplinary action is taken against him including finding that he is not fit to serve as a judge of the High Court so that a process for his removal be undertaken to rid the Judiciary of personnel such as him who bring the institution into disrepute,”he added
Joseph Irungu alias Jowie has been a victim of the tug of war between the Prisons Department and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
The two government agencies have had a standoff over unpaid bill amounting to Kes 31 million. KNH has been turning away inmates and remandees brought to the hospital to seek treatment.
KNH Director of Clinical Services Peter Masinde said the prison’s account had been frozen and warned that the hospital would only handle emergency cases from the correctional facility until the debt was cleared.
“They have got a debt of Kes 31 million, so we are treating their patients who are emergency cases only. They have promised to clear it, but we don’t know when,” Dr Masinde was quoted by the Standard.
Painkillers
Joseph Irungu was on Monday November 12th taken to KNH for surgery on his arm but instead he was only given painkillers and sent away.
Joseph Irungu at Kenyatta National Hospital
Jowie was was expected to be admitted to Ward 6A for an operation on his arm stemming from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an alleged suicide attempt before he was arrested in connection with the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
Jowie’s parents had offered to pay the bill and deposited some money after KNH refused to operate on him, but the hospital turned down the payment explaining that they don’t deal with individuals if they have been brought in by the prisons authorities.
Most rookie prisoners usually reek of suffering and great stress, but not Joseph Irungi alias Jowie. He seems to have fitted suitably into the prison environment.
Jowie is being incarcerated at the Industrial Area Remand Prison, on Monday, November 12 he was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
Photos of Jowie walking ‘freely’ at KNH have set tongues wagging. The slay king looked relatively dapper as he walked around the hospital gardens in grey prison uniform, crocs and his arm in a sling.
Jowie at KNH
N/B: Justice James Wakiaga was the one who described Jowie as a male version of a slay queen and a woman eater in his ruling while denying him bail.
Operation
Jowie was at KNH to undergo an operation on his left side of the chest where he has a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital under tight security, armed guards could be seen keeping an eagle eye on him even as he walked around the hospital gardens,
High Court Judge James Wakiaga denied Jacque Maribe’s fiancé Josheph Irungi alias Jowie bail on grounds that he would interfere with the case if released.
Wakiaga also raised eyebrows when he described Jowie in unflattering terms, he called him a male version of a slay queen and a woman eater.
“A male version of a slay queen, which for lack of a better word I’ll call a woman eater. He was living in the house of the second accused. driving the second accused’s car, with no known source of income since 2017 when he provided security for some Jubilee politicians,” said Justice Wakiaga while giving his ruling on bail application.
Reactions
Some people didn’t take it lightly that Justice Wakiaga called Jowie a slay queen and a woman eater. Mutahi Ngunyi and former Kiambu governor William Kabogo took to social media to express their disapproval of the judge’s unflattering terms.
Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) called out Kabogo for stating that Wakiaga should be excused from the Monica Kimani’s case for calling Jowie a woman eater.
KOT quickly reminded Kabogo about the murder of University of Nairobi student Mercy Keino who was killed in 2011. Kabogo was adversely mentioned in an inquest into the death of Mercy.
Mercy had attended a party hosted by Kabogo at Wasini Luxury Apartments, Westlands before her body was found on Waiyaki Way on the night of June 17-18, 2011, it was mutilated and bones had been fractured.
She was reported to have been escorted out of the party after she became drunk and unruly. Kabogo was however cleared of Mercy Keino death in 2016.
It seems like everyone was showing support for Jacque Maribe and zero was coming in for her fiance Joseph Irungu aka Jowi.
Well, that’s not true.
Some of his friends were present in court yesterday to show support for the young man despite him being denied bail and the judge describing him as a male version of a slay queen.
Friends
Joe Muchiri who is well known for his clubbing and drinking ways was a good friend of Jowi and Bashka were present yesterday to show support for Jowi.
Jacque was released on Sh1 million cash bail in the Monica Kimani murder case. She was granted an alternative of a Sh2 million bond.
Citizen TV journalist Jacque Maribe on Monday in a court hearing shared how she first met Joseph Kuria Irungu.
According to the embattled journalist, she first bumped into him during Jubilee Campaigns in 2017.
“The first time I met Jowie was in mid July at Jubilee Party functions one at Bomas of Kenya and later at Kasarani,” she said.
Maribe, who together with Irungu are facing murder charges after Monica Kimani’s death, went on to tell the court that Jowi was working as a VIP guard to former Taita Taveta Woman Representative Joyce Lay and also a private military firm in Dubai then.
Panicked
Jacque also told the court of how things played out that fateful night when Irungu shot himself.
She said that she panicked after Irungu shot himself but when she went for her phone, she returned only to find Irungu gone.
“”He kept crying, saying ‘Jacque I am sorry’ but I ignored him. I heard what sounded like a gunshot. I jumped out of bed and went to the closet. He was lying on the floor, he had blood on his upper left chest area.
“I ran out and found Jowie lying down. Brayan and his wife Kate ran out to where Joseph was lying bleeding,” she narrated.
Dennis Itumbi has stuck on his guns on defending Jacque Maribe. The Secretary of Digital Innovation and Diaspora in the Office of the President Dennis took to social media to pray for the Citizen TV anchor.
“It has always been said and I agree that, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Though it tarries, be sure that Justice will be done my dear friend Jacque Maribe. So shall it be done for Monica and Family. So, graciously hear me Lord. Good week all,” wrote Dennis Itumbi on Facebook.
Still feels a thing for Maribe
Dennis Itumbi and Jacque Maribe
Itumbi engaged Facebook fans who raised several questions. From her responses, it was clear he only wants Maribe alone to be acquitted because he still feels something for her.
Read some of the responses below:
Dabuke Jela: This is vintage Dennis Itumbi… Quoting Martin Luther King Jr to moralize a murder most foul. Shouldn’t it be the other way round? The family of Monica that is grieving the loss of a daughter first, then your friend Jacque Maribe whose judgement seems to have failed her?
Dennis Itumbi: charging an innocent person in any case is the greatest injustice in any criminal prosecution. That is why they say, you would rather have 1,000 guilty people freed, than one innocent person Jailed. That is my position
Rita Nemayian Oyier: you are taking this case too personal, I hope its not your ladder to climbing back your way to her disintegrated heart. Brother, I will advise that you stop giving this girl false hopes, and focus on looking for another damsel who will love you for real. Ladies are funny, you can try to catch her attention with all this beautiful nonsense yet her heart is probably with another Tarzan out there which may include Jowi the spiderman. I wonder why you don’t speak like this for all ladies implicated in such cases. All said bro, you will never understand women!
Dennis Itumbi: It is personal
Stewart Moses: You’re always not mentioning Jowie anywhere in your prayers. God doesn’t answer such prayers
Dennis Itumbi: I do not remember posting my entire prayer here. Unless you overheard me pray
Sue Kerama: In this case, justice for Monica comes first
Dennis Itumbi: Justice is just that Justice. It bears no positions or time just one thing called Justice at the fall of the hammer. I however agree with you that Monica’s family deserves and should be served with Justice and therefore closure
Jujuh Gal: Am glad she looks strong today. Dennis Itumbi why ain’t you in court bro?
Dennis Itumbi: i was right there
Zachary Maina: Dennis you have clearly avoided mentioning Jowie because you would have want him rot in jail for a clear reason….
Dennis Itumbi: to Jowie too, Justice
Stephen Masudi: We believe in this gracious Lord of miracles, when your prayers shall be answered Dennis, on that day, take this gal and marry her you are the only man who can truly love and help guide Jacky in this life. On that day do not even wait for your pastor to come and join you in fact, do not even think of harusi. You remember that birthday cake you gave her on a live national TV, wacha hiyo isimamie cake ya harusi. Continue praying for her, justice will be done and more justice will be served to her when you will marry her. Wish you well and may our gracious Lord be with you.
Dennis Itumbi: Stephen Masudi hahaa you win!
Ndirangu Wa Marcus: imagine Monicah was your sister?
Dennis Itumbi: she is my sister and I pray to God who know exactly what happened to ensure Justice is served. That is my prayer.
Jacque Maribe literally looked like a troubled cage animal when she was first presented in court on Tuesday October 9th to face murder charges.
She looked weak and delicate, she didn’t even apply any makeup on her face. And when she shed tears in the courtroom everybody thought she was regretting the day she met Joseph Irungu.
Jacque Maribe and fiance Joseph Irungu in court on Tuesday October 9th
Prison life better?
Jacque Maribe however appeared presentable and full of life when he appeared in court on Monday October 15th to take plea. Both Maribe and her sweetheart Jowie pleaded not guilty to the charge of killing Monica Kimani.
Jacque Maribe looking all composed in court on Monday October 15th. Joseph Irungu is besides her
Maribe had spent days locked at Gigiri Police Station when she was first presented in court on Tuesday October 9th. It seems prison life is much better for her since she appeared in court with makeup on, she had spent 5 days at Lang’ata Women prison before being presented in court on Monday.
Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) also commented on Jacque’s look;
Jacque maribe leo alipiga uso randa. She now looks like the Jacque maribe we see on the Screen. Joseph Irungu on the other hand hasn't even changed. Huwezi dhani amekuwa jela. Ni kama amezoea maisha ngumu yeye. Meanwhile I hope Monica Kimani gets Justice despite her story.
Jacque Maribe’s woes continue, the Citizen TV anchor is facing murder charges for being an accessory to the murder of Monica Kimani
Robert Alai reports that Jacque is also pregnant with Joseph Irungu’s baby. The controversial blogger asserts that he has his facts right having told Kenyans that Brian Kasaine (Jacque’s neighbor was the third suspect in Monica’s murder) would be released days before he was actually released.
“10 days ago, we had the facts. Brian Kasaine was to be released after he agreed to be witness —>> Jacque Maribe is Pregnant with Jowie’s Child, Brian Kasaine to be Prosecution Witness,” Robert Alai tweeted.
Fit to stand trial
Meanwhile Jacque Maribe on Thursday October 11th underwent a mental assessment to determine whether she was fit to stand trial.
The medical report indicates that she is mentally fit to stand trial. Jacque and her fiance will take plea on Monday October 15th.
Jacque Maribe and fiance Joseph Irungu in court on Tuesday October 9th
Jacqe Maribe and her fiancé Joseph Irungu were presented in Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday October 9, 2018 for their charges to be read.
It was the first time the two lovebirds were presented in court together since they were arrested. They were being held at separate police stations.
Justice Jesse Lessit ordered that the two suspects be detained until Monday next week after a mental assessment was ordered for Jacque Maribe.
Prison it is
Jacqe Maribe and her fiancé Joseph Irungu
Jacque and Irungu were being held at Gigiri and Muthaiga police stations respectively. The two lovebirds have now been sent to prison until Monday when they take plea.
Jacque was shipped to Lang’ata Women Prison while her sweetheart was taken to Industrial Area Remand Prison. They will now have a taste of prison life for five days as they will be interacting with hard-core criminals.
The die has been cast, Jacque Maribe now has God and her lawyers to save her from facing the death sentence for the murder of Monica Kimani.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has given the green light for Jacque to be slapped with murder charges after reviewing the evidence gathered by detectives.
“I have independently reviewed the evidence so far on a record and ma satisfied that there exists prima facie case to warrant criminal prosecution against the following individuals, for the offence Murder contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the Penal Code.
a) Joseph Kuria Irungu alias Jowie;
b) Jacqueline Wanjiru Maribe,” wrote the DPP.
Capital offense
Murder, treason, oathing for criminal activities by proscribed criminal outfits, robbery and attempted robbery with violence are the five crimes classified as capital offences in Penal Code.
The law prescribes death as the only sentence for convicts of such five offences. If found guilty by the court, Jacque Maribe will likely to spend the rest of her life in prison because the last people to be hanged were 1982 coup plotters.
In June 2018 Miss Lang’ata Prison Ruth Kamande who stabbed her boyfriend multiple times was handed the death sentence by the court.
Detectives have built a watertight case against Joseph Irungu and now it’s up to Jacque Maribe to decide whether she play loyal and sink with her fiancé or save her own skin.
Jacque’s lawyer Katwa Kigen hinted to Saturday Standard that his client was considering cutting a deal with the prosecution that could see her testify against Irungu.
The defense team is also considering filing an application to demand the release of Jacque on grounds that she is no longer a person of interest in Monica Kimani’s murder.
They are basing the application on grounds that detectives are yet to take DNA samples from Jacque as they requested in court.
She will readily assist police
Joseph Irungu
Katwa Kigen told Saturday Standard that Jacque will readily assist police if called upon to say whatever she knows. The lawyer, who was visiting Jacque at Gigiri Police, didn’t immediately confirm that his client would testify against her fiancé.
“If our client is called in by the police to say whatever she knows, she will readily assist. Some of the details they were looking for are whether our client knew Monica. It has been established that they did not know each other. This automatically removes her from the scene of crime,” said Katwa Kigen.
The late Monica Kimani was found murdered in her house on September 20th. Her throat had been slit wide open, her mouth had been covered with tape, her legs bound and hands tied at the back.
The killer left her lifeless body in the bathtub with the water running. The deceased’s phones were thrown in the bathtub, the assailant locked the house after killing her and left with the apartment keys.
Jacque Maribe’s fiance Joseph Irungu is the main suspect in Monica’s murder. He was arrested alongside the Citizen TV anchor and a neighbor Bryan Kassaine Spira.
Murder weapon
Jacque Maribe’s house in Lang’ata.
A knife from Jacque Maribe’s kitchen has been subjected to scientific testing to establish if it is the weapon that was used to slice Monica’s throat.
Results of DNA analysis on samples collected from Monica’s house are out and detectives are certain they have pinned the killer.
Details of the results have been kept confidential because the outcome is part of evidence to be used in court by the prosecution.
A source told Nation that police have concluded that Monica’s killer slit her throat with the precision of a highly trained assassin.
