PORKIES CLUB OWNER TELL COURT THAT HE DID NOT KILL LEGISLATOR GEORGE THUO

PORKIES CLUB OWNER TELL COURT THAT HE DID NOT KILL LEGISLATOR GEORGE THUO

By Chris Ojow

Overwhelmed with emotions as he put the

record straight over allegations of

being involved in murdering his long

time friend of thirty years , the

accused Paul Wainaina informed the

trial court that he did not kill Juja MP

George Thuo.

As the defence made application

requesting to be allowed to present a

defence witness to testify on a

allegations that the deceased visited

several drinking joints before going to

Porkies club where it is alleged he met

his death.

The owner of Porkies club told Lady

Justice Roseline Korir that the

deceased was his good friend for many

years and that he could not at any given

time think of causing harm on him.

He repeatedly denied murdering

Legislator who was an entrepreneur in

public transport industry ten years

ago in Thika, Kiambu County.

“Your honour the late George Thuo was my

good friend, he was also a regular

customer at my club. Before Thuo came to

my club he had passed at another

restaurant in Kitengela where he took

some hot drinks and also passed at his

house before proceeding to my place,”

said Wainaina.

The accused was giving his defence

evidence in a case in which he and five

others namely Chris Lumbazio Andika

alias Lumba, Andrew Karanja Wainaina,

Samwel Kuria alias Visi, Esther Ndinda

Mulinge and Ruth Watahi Irungu alias

Atlanta denied murdering the deceased

on November 17, 2013 at Porkies Club in

Thika town Kiambu County.

The friendship of Wainaina and the

deceased was deeply rooted as he alleged

that he was the one who organised the

deceased Wedding, showing that they were

best friends.

“Your honour after some times Thuo

separated with his wife for a period of

six months and reunited before he met

his death ,” said Wainaina.

Led in his evidence chief by his lawyer

Dr. John Khaminwa, Wainaina told the

court that on November 17, 2013 Thuo

called him and informed him that he was

coming to his club to watch formula one

sports. He said Thuo wanted him to make

arrangement of space which he did.

Wainaina said that as they were having

some drinks Thuo informed him that he

wanted to remove his vest because it was

hot. He told the court that he took

Thuo to his office where he removed his

vest and took it to his car at the

parking before he returned back.

He said later Thuo started going down

and collapsed. “I and other people

rushed him to hospital where later I

was informed he died,’ said Wainaina.

The accused said that the former MP had

a heart problem and “was receiving

treatment from time to time”.

“Thuo also informed me that he was a

witness at the ICC case and that he was

supposed to testify in the same case

where the former president Uhuru

Kenyatta and his then deputy president

William Ruto were accused persons,” said

Wainaina.

The trial Court was informed that police

collected empty bottles from the

accused club and other empty bottles

from the deceased car.

In late January year 2023 Lady Justice

Korir ruled that all the accused

persons have a case to answer.

While delivering a ruling she stressed

that that she had considered the

prosecution case on witnesses evidence

and exhibits produced in court.

“After analysing the evidence, I have

found that the prosecution has

established a prima facie case against

the accused persons to warrant this

court to place them on their defence “,

the judge ruled.

Through their defence lawyers Dr

Khaminwa and Cliff Ombetta the accused

persons said the Director of Public

Prosecutions had failed to establish

that the accused had the motive to

poison Thuo.

In his final submissions, Khaminwa said

Thuo was a regular and respected

customer at the club.

“No motive to poison him has been

established by the DPP. No evidence to

demonstrate the link between the accused

and the death of the deceased,” said

Khaminwa.

The advocate said that before Thuo went

to Porkies Club, he had been drinking

alcohol elsewhere.

“Indeed there were bottles of beer in

his car.”

In addition, Khaminwa submitted that the

former MP had a heart problem and “was

receiving treatment from time to time”.

The court was asked to take judicial

notice that specimens from the body, the

glass he used and the beer bottle were

taken to South Africa for forensic

examination.

“The evidence from South Africa has

never been produced in court and thus

the case is incurable,” Khaminwa

submitted.

During the hearing, Chief Inspector

Maxwell Otieno, the lead investigator,

told Justice Korir that the Tusker beer

bottle from which the deceased was

drinking and the clothes he was wearing

were taken to the Government Chemist and

the test results indicated that the

former legislator had been poisoned.

( Chris Ojow is Award winning Photojournalist and Founder African Times News Media website www.africantimes.co.ke
0724 656913-WhatsApp
onyangoojow@gmail.com )