By Wanja Waweru
“I tried calling her twice on the evening of May 4, 2021, but she responded with a text message saying she would call me back later. It was the last time I heard from her.”
This is the statement Patronilah Kijana gave when she appeared as a witness in the murder of her friend Ngina Kitheka.
In May 2021, Kitheka’s body was discovered at her house in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, tucked inside a wardrobe.
The main suspect in the murder is Robert Waliaula Kinisu, who was given the death penalty in 2018 for robbery with violence. Between May 3 and May 6, 2021, he is said to have killed Kitheka before selling her belongings.
On Tuesday, Kijana thought back to their final exchange before learning of the deceased’s passing.
She explained to Justice Ann Ong’injo that it was unusual for Kitheka to not answer her call.
“Kitheka did not reject my call or respond via text message for more than a year of our friendship. This was unusual. I, however, waited for her call,” she said while being questioned by State Counsel Bernard Ngiri.
The witness claimed that while waiting for her friend to call back as promised, she grew busy with funeral arrangements at home. She had traveled to Bungoma for a burial, the witness claimed.
Three days later, Kitheka was murdered inside her home, according to a friend who only went by the name of Monica, who called Kijana to inform her of the news.
“I was shocked because she never allowed anyone to enter her house,” the witness said of Kitheka.
The 42-year-old witness said she met Kitheka in 2020 at a club in Mtwapa. They became close friends and remained so until her death.
“Every evening, we would meet at the club, have fun, leave, and walk home together. We even started working out together every morning,” she said during questioning by Waliaula’s lawyer, Derick Mwanzia.
The witness claimed that every day from 6 to 7 am, she would go to Kitheka’s home and the two would head to the rooftop of the apartment building to work out.
The witness claimed that while they were acquainted, Kitheka disclosed to her that she was dating a white man who lived abroad.
Kijana confirmed that she had never seen Kitheka with any man except one whom they met at a club within Mtwapa.
The witness claimed that every day from 6 to 7 am, she would go to Kitheka’s home and the two would head to the rooftop of the apartment building to work out.
The witness claimed that while they were acquainted, Kitheka disclosed to her that she was dating a white man who lived abroad.
The only man Kitheka had ever been with, according to Kijana, was the one they met in a club in Mtwapa.
“The deceased later told me that the man wanted to date her. She mentioned that the guy told her that he was a broker, selling motor vehicles, and he would like to introduce her to the business,” Kijana said.
She reportedly warned her friend to be cautious of the unidentified man, because most people claiming to be brokers were conmen.
“I am not sure if the deceased ever had a relationship with the broker guy. I do know that the deceased had only one white man. She did not have many friends, and she preferred to keep her life and affairs private,” she explained, adding that Kitheka only let a few people into her home.
In court, Kijana successfully identified Kitheka’s goods that were retrieved from Waliaula.
Alfred Kombe, a different witness, was a security guard in the apartment complex where Kitheka resided.
“The deceased used to live alone. When I last saw her, she left her room alone at around 11pm with a handbag and she later returned alone,” he testified in court.
The witness confirmed he had never seen Kitheka with a man; she was always alone when she left, and alone when she came back to the house.
“I did not see anyone who was not a tenant enter the compound or any of the rooms during the night. I worked at night, so I do not know what happened during the day,” the witness explained
He stated that he was astounded to learn that Kitheka had been murdered inside her home.
“I received a call from the property’s owner at around 11am. He enquired if I had left work and if everything was all right. He then told me that there was a foul smell coming from one of the houses and that I should go back,” he said.
When Kombe went back, he found police officers in the compound.
“The deceased’s room was locked so the police broke the door before removing her body from the wardrobe. The deceased occupied the fourth unit on the ground floor,” he said.
In a study presented in court, David Ngumbao, an analyst with the Government Chemist, testified that Kitheka did not consume any harmful substances before she passed away.
The stomach and its contents, the liver, and the kidney were the sources of the samples sent for analysis.
Ngumbao was tasked with determining whether the displays included any harmful materials that would have contributed to Kitheka’s demise.
“After analysis, I concluded that there was no toxic substance found in the exhibits analysed,” said the witness.
The furniture that could be positively identified as belonging to Kitheka was discovered in a store run by Hamisi Mohamed.
In exchange for money, the murder suspect had left the things at Mohamed’s store.
Waliaula was positively identified as the person who left the things at his shop in Mtwapa by Mohamed, who also testified in the case.
The businessman concluded his testimony by stating that Waliaula was the one who sold him the items taken from Kitheka’s home for Sh1,550, which he paid the suspect over M-Pesa.
A toaster, juice mixer, iron box, and blender were among the items.
It has been established that these items were taken from the Kitheka’s home following her murder. Kitheka’s murder has been rejected by Waliaula.
According to information provided to the court, the suspect killed the woman and concealed her body in the wardrobe at her home in the Marina neighborhood of Mtwapa before fleeing with her possessions, including her cell phones.
About three days after her death, the body was found.
2019 saw the High Court’s acquittal of Waliaula for the violent robbery and murder of Mombasa-based model Janet Adhiambo Asuna at her Kizingo residence.
Johansen Oduor, a government pathologist, and two other crucial witnesses are anticipated to conclude the prosecution’s case.
The hearing will go on on July 7, 2023
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