The High Court has given Joseph "Jowie" Irungu a death sentence for the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani. 

Jowie was found guilty of murder, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the late Monica Kimani's family had asked the court to execute Jowie. 

Judge Grace Nzioka of the Milimani Law Court remarked during the sentencing that Jowie's family had suffered harm, and the prosecution had pleaded with the court to execute Jowie for this offense. 

"The court has been invited to consider that the crime had serious physiological and physical harm to the victim and family. Based on this factor, the prosecution argues that the court should meet out the sentence as provided under the law," noted Justice Nzioka. 


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Justice Nzioka stated that the prosecution brought up the 2015 Francis Muruatetu case. The prosecution maintained that the death penalty is constitutional, notwithstanding the Muruatetu case ruling. 

The death penalty was not declared unconstitutional in this case; instead, it was determined that the death penalty's mandatory nature is unconstitutional. The prosecution requested that this court impose the death penalty. 

Justice Grace mentioned that Jowie's family had  not begged the court to execute Jowie. 

The victim's family, in their submission dated March 7, drew the court's attention to the sentence provided for the offense of murder. Which is stipulated under section 204, which says a person convicted for the offense of murder shall suffer death," she read. 

"They led the court through objectives of sentence and invited the court to consider the fact that the accused person did not play a peripheral role in the commission of the offence, but was the main perpetrator."


The family wanted Jowie handed the death sentence, describing Monica's murder as "cold-blooded and barbaric." They argued that Jowie attempted to conceal the offense by stealing an ID card and destroying clothes afterward. 

 "No monetary compensation can bring the deceased back. Death of diseased occasioned them economic loss as the business she was manning in South Sudan collapsed and it was only means of the family," she read. 

In her decision, Judge Nzioka maintained that Jowie was not eligible for rehabilitation despite never having requested a non-custodial sentence. 

"The deceased was not intended to live for even a single minute at any point during the commission of the offense. She contended that the deaths were tragically caused by extreme circumstances that verged on insanity. 

"This murder was planned out. It was not an act of defense. It wasn't a provocative act. It was intended, planned, and carried out. 

On September 19, 2018, Monica Kimani passed away. The court found Jowie guilty of murder on February 9, 2024, but Jacque Maribe, his co-accused, was not found guilty.