Joseph 'Jowie' Irungu sentenced to death in Monica Kimani murder case

Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, High Court judge Grace Nzioka ruled that the horrific murder of Monica Kimani was "intentional."

"It was not a defensive act. It was not out of provocation. It was planned, intended and executed," ruled Justice Nzioka.

"Based on what I have said, I have ordered that the first accused before this court, Joseph Kuria Irungu alias Jowie, shall suffer death as provided for the offence of murder under section 204 of the penal code of Kenya. That is the order of the court."

In delivering the verdict, the judge highlighted submissions by the prosecution on the "serious and grievous harm occasioned to the deceased" using a dangerous weapon.

She further noted the intricate planning of the offence, adding that there was no degree of provocation by the deceased to the accused hence the murder was not accidental.

The prosecution, which urged the court to consider slapping the accused with a death sentence described Jowie as being "criminogenic".

"He (Jowie) lacks stable partner relationships. He has antisocial patterns manifested by living on the edge. He is impulsive and a thrill seeker. He uses anger or aggression to control others. Has a double personality trait," the probation report cited the judge indicated.

In her verdict, Justice Nzioka also indicated that the court had also established that Jowie, who underwent tactical military training in Dubai, was indeed violent.

"It was the evidence of the guards at Royal Park estate where he (Jowie) was staying that he would not allow himself to be searched. He would brandish a gun and say 'I work at State House' and just drive off.

"It is the evidence of the brother of the deceased that at one time during the hearing of this case he (Jowie) blocked his car," noted the judge before handing Jowie the death sentence," she added.

In delivering the death sentence, the judge cited the consequence of the offence to the family of the deceased stating: "In this case, it is undisputed that the deceased was the Managing Director of the family business in South Sudan."

"It is undisputed that the business collapsed after her demise and that it was the source of income for the family and we can all appreciate the natural and probable consequence of that," noted the judge.

She further noted that the mother of the deceased suffered depression and a stroke and that she has hardly healed following the death of her daughter.

Jowie was last month found guilty of the murder of Monica Kimani, who was brutally killed in her Lamuria Gardens apartment in Nairobi on the night of September 19, 2018. Justice Nzioka ruled that the prosecution had adduced adequate evidence and proved beyond reasonable doubt that Jowie indeed killed Monica.

The judge noted that the unlawful killing of Monica Kimani was not only a loss to the family but also to society.

"It is not just a loss to the immediate family. Of course, it is, in the highest degree, a loss to the society when one is killed unlawfully," she said.

In conclusion, Justice Nzioka cited three quotes on murder to underscore her message:

"In an act of murder, one person's life ends but a countless number of lives are forever impacted."

"Murder leaves behind a trail of shattered dreams and broken hearts that can never be healed."

"The act of murder is a heinous crime that challenges the moral fabric of society and demands justice."