The boyfriend of murdered Kenya Institute of Mass Communication student Purity Wangechi has been denied bond after a court heard that he has been threatening witnesses.
John Wanyoike Kibugi, alias VDJ Flex, had applied for bond when appeared on Monday before Lady Justice Priscilla Mshila in Kiambu High Court alongside his co-accused Brendan Mwaura Muchiri, Kanaita Kamau Njoroge and Isaack Kariuki Kibue, alias Karish.
The prosecution objected to the bond application, saying that Wanyoike will interfere with witnesses if released as he had also threatened some witnesses.
The three other accused persons are out on bond of Sh 500,000 each.
The four suspects have denied charges that on May 13, 2022, at Buraria estate in Kiambu East subcounty, Kiambu county, they jointly murdered Wangeci, whose body found dumped by the roadside at around 6am by a passerby.
The matter had come up for mention with the hearing yet to start. Next hearing will be on March 19.
Upon arrival at the scene, detectives established that the 19-year-old had been killed elsewhere and her body dumped at the scene by her killers.
"Bloodstained bedding, clothes and Purity’s identification documents were among the items recovered," the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said.
Preliminary investigations by the detectives established that the deceased left college to visit her boyfriend who lives in Kirigiti, Kiambu county.
A postmortem conducted at the City Mortuary indicated that she succumbed to two stab wounds in the neck.
The DCI said Wangechi had discovered that her lover was into crime, and was contemplating leaving him.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the suspect killed her when she confronted him about the nature of his job.
Wangechi's Rose Karinga has urged the Judiciary to speed up the case as the family wants closure and start the healing process.
"I live and work in Meru, I have to travel to Kiambu law courts, where the matter has taken a long time to be heard," She said
