• The body of Jennifer Mwende was found dumped in a pit latrine within Mlolongo town, Mavoko subcounty days back.
• Autopsy conducted at Montezuma Monalisa Mortuary in Machakos indicated that the 29-year-old died from asphyxiation, caused by manual neck compression.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
A Machakos High court has ordered that mental assessment be conducted on two women suspected for murdering Mlolongo salonist, Jennifer Mwende.
The court issued the order when the prosecution produced Everlyn Wanza Katumbu and Faith Nthemba in Machakos High Court on Thursday.
The duo appeared before Judge Margaret Muigai but didn’t take plea.
Muigai ordered that they be subjected to mental assessment at Machakos Level 5 Hospital to determine if they are mentally fit to face trial before taking plea.
Muigai directed that the two should equally undergo medical examination after their advocate told the court that his clients had been undergoing through torture, strangulation and assault from investigation officers involved in the murder case.
"I order that the two accused persons shall be taken to Machakos Level 5 Hospital for mental assessment on October 18, 2023, and this order shall be issued to the Prisons department to effect the same," the judge directed.
The judge further directed that the accused persons be escorted to the OCS, Machakos police station, to make official reports or complaints and for investigations to be conducted.
"The other order is that on the same date, when they will be taken to Machakos Level 5 Hospital, they shall be examined while at the same time have the mental assessment on both issues; medical examination on the alleged complaints of assault, torture, strangulation and sexual assault while they were arrested, confined and in conduct of investigations at Mlolongo police station."
The judge also ordered that the suspects be transferred from Mlolongo Police Station to Machakos GK Prison where they will be detained before they are reproduced in the same court to take plea.
Justice Muigai ordered that no DCI personnel or police officer from Mlolongo should access the suspects.
The two are scheduled to take plea on October 19, 2023.
They were arrested following Mwende’s brutal murder.
Her body was found on September 13 dumped in a pit latrine within Mlolongo town, Mavoko subcounty after missing for two weeks.
Mwende was buried at her parent’s home in Katangi, Yatta subcounty within Machakos County.
Autopsy results showed that she was strangled to death.
The post-mortem conducted at Montezuma Monalisa Mortuary in Machakos indicated that the 29-year-old died from asphyxiation, caused by manual neck compression.
The two suspects had previously appeared before Senior Magistrate Barbra Ojoo at Mavoko Law Courts who ordered their detention for 10 days to enable police conduct investigations.