School principal was killed by abductors, widow claims

The trial of a former headmistress,  who allegedly hired killers in November 2016 to murder her husband, began on Monday at the Kiambu High Court.

Ms Jane Muthoni, a former headmistress of Icaciri Secondary School in Kiambu, has been accused of plotting the murder of Mr Solomon Mwangi, who at the time of his death was the principal of Kiru Boys Secondary School in Murang’a county.

On Monday, Ms Muthoni, his widow, appeared before the court alongside her co-accused Mr Issac Ng’ang’a.

The two appeared relaxed and at some point, Ms Muthoni even offered Mr Ng’ang’a a fruit during a break in the proceedings.

“Have you taken enough photos or you still want so more, I pose well?" Ms Muthoni, who was accompanied by her daughter, asked this writer when she noticed that he was taking their photos.

During cross-examination by the prosecution, Ms Muthoni claimed that her husband was abducted by killers who demanded ransom. 

Murder plot

She also claimed that on November 6, she had received a call from the said abductors who later switched off their phones when they noticed that they were being tracked after she reported to the police.

However, she could not explain to the court how much the abductors were demanding in ransom.

Ms Muthoni also told the court that her husband was not murdered on November 6, 2016, or on November 9, 2016, as claimed in court, given they talked on the said dates. 

She also denied participating in the murder plot.

At one time, her lawyer kept interrupting as the prosecution made a point.

“Why pay a lawyer and come analyse everything for him. I will not tolerate it,” High Court Judge Joel Ngugi told the defence team.

Ms Muthoni is being held at Lang’ata Women's Prison while her co-accused is being held at Industrial Area Remand Prison after the prosecution opposed their cash bail applications claiming that if released, they will interfere with witnesses.

Joseph Njuguna, alias Karis, a convict-turned-state witness who blew the lid on the murder plot told police in his confession that he had been contacted by a woman, only identified herself as Damaris, with an offer for a well-paying job. 

Damaris had been contracted by Ms Muthoni - now the accused - to hire the killers.

Love affair

Ms Muthoni claimed that her husband was having an illicit affair with another woman who was an M-Pesa shop attendant.

Mr Njuguna, who is currently serving a five-year jail term at Kamiti Maximum Prisons for manslaughter, had told detectives and the court the that the initial murder plot, whose mastermind was a man only identified as ‘Njiru’, was to kill a female M-Pesa shop attendant in Kiria-ini.

He told that court that Ms Muthoni had accused the said woman of having an affair with her husband.

Mr Njuguna also told detectives that he had been promised Sh100.000 to execute the job.

But the murder plot changed after the killers visited their supposed target in Murang’a and cosmetically ordered for a soft drink then left.

Mr Njuguna confessed to detectives that they dropped the idea to kill the M-Pesa shop attendant because of the risks involved.

Apparently, the M-Pesa shop was adjacent to an Equity Bank and a police Station.

The next idea they hatched, Mr Njuguna told the court in his confession, was to kill the Kiru Boys Secondary School principal.

He was drugged by his wife who later handed him over to his killers who then led him into a forest and strangled him using a rope.

Mwangi’s body was later recovered in a coffee farm in Juja, Kiambu county following a search led by his wife.

The murder plot leaked after Ms Muthoni failed to pay the hired killers a balance of Sh300,000.

Hearing of the case continues on Wednesday.