Doctor who treated Jowie's gunshot wound, speaks

Piece by: SUSAN MUHINDI

26 October 2021

It has now emerged that murder suspect Jowie Irungu sustained a gun-shot wound on his left shoulder after being assaulted by thugs.

Earlier witness accounts revealed that Jowie shot himself in the arm at around 1 am on September 21, 2018, in protest of being evicted from co-accused Jacque Maribe’s house.

The two are facing murder charges of businesswoman Monica Kimani whose body was found in her Lamuria Gardens home in Kilimani on September 19, 2018.

Yesterday, a doctor from Nairobi West Hospital told trial judge Grace Nzioka that Jowie arrived at their facility on September 21, 2018, at 1.35 am. It was the night of the 20th going to the 21st.

“He came in with a gunshot wound on the left shoulder and reported he sustained those injuries after being assaulted by thugs. The wounds were dressed. He was also given injections for tetanus and painkillers," Dr Lawrence Ochieng said.

Ochieng, who has worked at the hospital for the last seven years, told the court that on September 25, they received a communique from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

The DCI indicated they were probing a case of shooting that occurred on September 21, 2018.

“In the interest of conducting further investigations, they requested to be provided with treatment notes in regards to Irungu Kuria, any clothing that could be left within the premises, and any other information that would assist in investigations,” he said.

The hospital, according to the witness, responded on the same date. They informed the DCI that Irungu went to the hospital on September 21, 2018, at 1.35 am and was given first aid treatment but was issued with a referral letter to a hospital of his own choice on financial grounds.

The witness said that a CT scan was done on his chest. It showed internal injuries to the lungs and muscles as well as a fracture on one of the bones of the shoulder.

This is what informed the need to have him admitted but he was not admitted at the facility owing to financial issues.

During cross-examination, Dr Ochieng said he did not personally examine Irungu. The examination was done by a Dr Kariuki who has since left the hospital to pursue further studies.

He left the institution one year after the incident.