What a brother! Older Kianjokoma brother sacrificed his life

Piece by: ANNETTE WAMBULWA

05 March 2022

• “As we were running, Emmanuel tripped, I looked back and saw him down. Then I saw Benson holding back, then he went back to the direction where Emmanuel was,” Chris Dan Murimi, a childhood friend said.

The high court on Thursday heard that the older Kianjokoma brother may have sacrificed his life in an attempt to save his younger brother before they were both killed.

Chris Dan Murimi, a childhood friend of Benson Ndwiga and Emmanuel Ndwiga_ the two brothers who were found murdered after arrest in Embu_ told the court that he saw Benson going back to rescue his younger brother Emmanuel as police armed with a long wooden stick approached them.

Murimi told justice Ogembo that, he, Benson, Emmanuel and another friend identified as John Mugendi were walking back home on August 1, 2021 when they saw a police land cruiser.

Benson was the first to spot the police vehicle and he alerted them.

Shortly after, the court heard that a police officer who was standing beside the car charged at them, and they decided to run away.

“As we were running, Emmanuel tripped, I looked back and saw him down. Then I saw Benson holding back, then he went back to the direction where Emmanuel was,” Murimi said.

When asked by Lawyer Dorcas Mwae why they decided to run from the said police officer, Murimi said it was because the one who was running towards them “was huge, masculine and he was approaching them in an aggressive manner carrying a huge wooden stick”.

Asked why he believed the man with a wooden stick was a police officer, Murimi explained that it was because he was standing beside the land cruiser.

He told the court that claims that the two brothers jumped off a police car could not be true.

The officers charged with the murder of the brothers include Benson Mputhia, Consolata Kariuki, Nicholas Cheruyoit, Martin Wanyama, Lilian Chemuna, and James Mwaniki.

In their opening statement, the prosecution said they will prove to the court that the six officers planned the killing of the two brothers.

“The prosecution shall prove that the cops had motive and opportunity to kill the two deceased persons,” the court heard.

The state said the murder of the brothers was premeditated and executed jointly by all the six officers, and they shall adduce witness testimony to give an account of what transpired prior to the arrest of the deceased.