Joseph Kuria Irungu, aged 33, is scheduled to appear in court this morning for the sentencing phase in the murder case involving businesswoman Monica Nyawira Kimani.

Last week, Irungu’s legal team requested additional time from High Court Judge Grace Nzioka to submit responses to a pre-sentence report and the prosecution’s submissions, delaying the sentencing.

In the prosecution’s submissions, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Gikui Gichuhi urged the court to impose the death penalty on Irungu, citing evidence that he had planned the murder, with no provocation from Monica, and had attempted to conceal the crime.

Monica, aged 28, was found dead in her Lamuria Garden apartment on September 19, 2018, with her throat slit shortly after returning from Juba, South Sudan. She was due to fly to Dubai the next day. The circumstances of her murder shocked the nation, with her body discovered bound and submerged in a bathtub.

In the pre-sentencing report, Irungu’s parents described him as outgoing, respectful, and a committed Christian. Born in Nakuru on November 20, 1990, Irungu pursued a diploma in food production at Kenya Polytechnic before working in Dubai for a security company.

Justice Nzioka, in her ruling, acknowledged that the conviction relied on circumstantial evidence but concluded that the prosecution had met the burden of proof. She highlighted Irungu’s actions, including stealing a security guard’s identity card to gain access to Monica’s apartment and subsequently destroying evidence by burning his clothes after the crime.

The judge found Irungu guilty of murder based on the cumulative evidence presented during the trial, indicating a deliberate and premeditated act. Today’s sentencing will determine the consequences for Irungu’s involvement in this tragic case.