Detectives investigating the murder of Monica Kimani are waiting for the results of a DNA test done on samples taken from television presenter Jacque Maribe to determine the nature of charges she will face, Sunday Nation has established.
A source within the investigating team revealed, on condition of anonymity that the DNA samples taken from Ms Maribe on Friday evening will determine the charges she is likely to face.
The samples were collected from Ms Maribe at the Gigiri police station where she is being held and are being analysed. The detectives said they expect the results by close of business tomorrow.
“We cannot rule out anything, we may prefer any manner of charges; it is the results which will determine,” said the detective.
DETECTIVES CAGEY
Ms Maribe spent the better part of yesterday receiving visitors, mainly colleagues from the fourth estate. A colleague who visited her at the police station said she was “composed and hoping for the best.”
She had also received six other journalists on Friday. Detectives handling the case remained cagey with information even as family sources expressed frustration at the pace of investigations.
“Nothing much is happening, we do not have any idea what awaits her on Thursday,” said a family member relative who agreed to speak off record. “It is very frustrating not only to her but us as members of her family,” he added.
KITCHEN KNIFE
Ms Maribe is being detained at the police station as a suspect in the murder of Ms Monica Kimani who was found murdered at Lamuria Apartments off Dennis Pritt road in Nairobi on September 19. Detectives want to establish from the DNA test whether Ms Maribe was at the scene of crime. This is after it emerged that Ms Maribe’s fiancé, Mr Joseph Irungu, who is the main suspect in the murder, was in the company of another person at the scene of crime.
Already, DNA samples taken from Mr Irungu place him at the scene of crime. Investigators this week picked an ordinary knife from Ms Maribe’s Lang’ata estate residence and are examining it to establish whether it is the weapon that was used in the gruesome murder.
DESTROYED EVIDENCE
The results of the DNA will then be used to determine whether Ms Maribe will be considered as a suspect or witness in the murder case.
“The results hold the final fate of how Ms Maribe will be treated as from Thursday. That is what we are all anxiously waiting for,” said the source that requested for anonymity.
Sources at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that detectives will this week be tasked to find out why Mr Irungu destroyed the trail of evidence linking him to the murder.
They suspect that his moves prior and after the murder, were aimed at concealing his visit at Ms Kimani’s residence.
RECONSTRUCT SCENE
Irungu’s conduct, from burning the clothes he wore on that day to giving contradicting information to the police was “raising eyebrows,” our source observed. Last night, plans were also underway to have Ms Maribe issue a fresh statement on what she knows regarding the murder.
“False information was given to police at Lang’ata on who shot Mr Irungu on his shoulders and we are still interested to know why he opted to burn the kanzu that he wore that day,” said the source.
Detectives following the matter have been able to reconstruct the crime scene with tapes used to shut Ms Kimani’s mouth having “fresh fingerprints of Mr Irungu.”
LAST VISITOR
Detectives are also following leads that Ms Kimani’s murder was well-planned even before she was visited by Mr Irungu. This is after it emerged that Mr Irungu used an identity card belonging to one Dominic Bisela to gain access to Ms Kimani’s apartment.
Ms Kimani’s neighbours however identified Mr Irungu as the visitor who was last seen at the deceased’s apartment. Sources said detectives are still pursuing four people, including a politician and a doctor, whose advice Mr Irungu allegedly sought on an “issue that was disturbing him.”
The detectives are also looking for another person who was together with Mr Irungu after CCTV cameras showed that he was in the company of another person as he drove from Kilimani to Lang’ata.