Monica Kimani murder probe: A timeline
What you need to know:
- Her brother George Kimani broke into Ms Kimani’s flat and found her dead in the bathtub, her neck slit from ear to ear.
- Kassaine, Maribe and Irungu went to Lang'ata Police Station and reported that Mr Irungu had been shot very early that morning by three thugs as he entered the house.
- Police recovered a live bullet under Ms Maribe's bed and took it for ballistic tests. They also found a bullet hole on the wall, covered with wheat flour dough.
Monica Kimani had just arrived home from South Sudan two weeks ago when she was killed inside her apartment in Nairobi.
Here, a blow by blow account of how the probe into her murder has evolved.
- Wednesday, September 19
6.21pm- Monica Kimani, 28, a businesswoman, calls her brother to announce her arrival in Nairobi from Juba, tells him she will leave for Dubai the next day.
7.30pm — Ms Kimani is dropped off by a taxi at her Lamuria Gardens Apartment in Kilimani, Off Dennis Pritt Road.
8.00pm — Ms Kimani leaves her third floor flat to collect a delivery from the gate.
8.30pm- A neighbour, Owen, arrives at Ms Kimani's house to deliver a South Sudanese car number plate she had given him earlier and requested it be insulated.
8.30pm- Another neighbour, a Lebanese, having realised that Ms Kimani was at home, joins the two neighbours at her A8 apartment.
8.45pm — Another man, dressed in a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, a cap and a white robe, popularly known as a kanzu, arrives, hugs Monica and goes straight to the kitchen then returns with a glass of wine. At the gate, he registered himself as "Dominic Kamau".
9.00pm — The neighbours leave Ms Kimani and the man in the white robe in the flat.
- Thursday, September 20
3.35am — The man in the white robe calling himself Dominic Kamau leaves the apartment, driving a Silver Toyota Allion, KCA 031E. Later, street cameras capture him in the car with an unidentified man.
4.00am — Joseph Irungu Kuria arrives at his girlfriend’s house dressed in a hoodie, a cap and a jacket.
11.30am — Ms Kimani’s brother, George Kimani, having failed to reach his sister the whole night decides to visit her apartment together with his girlfriend, to ascertain her safety.
12.00pm — George Kimani with the help of neighbours and a friend, break into Ms Kimani’s flat and find her dead in the bathtub, her neck slit from ear to ear. Her mouth is taped shut, her hands tied at the back. Her feet were also bound. The killer left the water running.
3.30pm- Police, having analysed the scene of crime, take Ms Kimani’s body to Chiromo Mortuary.
9.00pm- Jacque Wangui Maribe, a news anchor at Citizen Television reads the news, with the death of Ms Kimani being one of the items, before heading home.
The Serious Crimes Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, DCI Headquarter’s Homicide Section, takes over the investigations into the killing and open a file; CR141/335/2018.
- Friday, September 21
1.00am — Jacque Maribe and her fiancé Joseph Irungu get into an argument at her Royal Park Apartment house number 626, where Mr Irungu is suspected to have grabbed a pistol and shot himself on the right side of the chest. The bullet exits from the back and hits the wall, leaving a hole.
1.02am — Mr Irungu runs out of the house into house number 620, belonging to a friend and former college mate. He tells the owner, Mr Brian Kassaine Spira, that he had shot himself and asks him to go and secure the gun at Ms Maribe's house.
1.05am — Ms Kassaine gets into Ms Maribe's house and finds the gun, a Ceska Serial Number B467102 with 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition and one spent cartridge on the floor at the entrance to the walk-in closet adjacent to the bedroom.
1.30am- Ms Maribe, Mr Kassaine and Mr Kassaine's wife, Ms Catherine Piyon, rush Mr Irungu to hospital but the wound is only dressed — the hospitals demands a police OB number.
8.00am- Ms Maribe goes to work, leaving her fiancé in the house nursing the gunshot wound. She later returns home.
7.05pm- Mr Kassaine, Ms Maribe and Mr Irungu go to Lang'ata Police Station, some 200 metres from their estate, and report under OB/79/21/9/2018 that Mr Irungu had been shot very early that morning by three thugs as he entered the house.
8.00pm — Lang'ata OCPD Mutisi visits the alleged scene of shooting and interrogates watchmen who deny hearing any gunshots or having information about the shooting.
10.30pm — The OCPD receives a signal from Kilimani, asking for assistance in tracing Mr Irungu and the Toyota Allion car seen at the scene of Ms Kimani's murder in Kilimani.
- Sunday, September 23
Police interrogate Mr Kassaine, Ms Maribe and Mr Irungu about Ms Kimani's death and the alleged shooting.
- Monday, September 24
Mr Irungu is arrested at Ms Maribe's house and taken to the Lang'ata Police Station. Ms Maribe goes missing, but later reveals that she panicked and went to her parent's house after her fiancé was arrested in connection with the killing she had reported on TV.
Police recover a live bullet under Ms Maribe's bed and take it for ballistic tests. Police also find a bullet hole on the wall, covered with wheat flour dough.
- Tuesday, September 25
Police seize Ms Maribe's car, the Toyota Allion KCA 031E, from her home and take it to the Kilimani Police Station.
It is dusted and cans of beer, a wig and some clothes found inside are taken by police.
Forensic investigators also camp at Ms Kimani’s flat, combing the area for samples to be taken for DNA analysis.
Mr Irungu reveals that the bullet found by detectives at Ms Maribe's house may have dropped from the gun of a friend, Mr Kassaine, which he claims he usually services. Police discover he had had the gun since September 9.
- Wednesday, September 26
Police produce Mr Irungu at the Kiambu Law Courts, court grants Investigating Officer Maxwell Otieno 10 days to detain him to allow for more investigations.
- Thursday, September 27
Ms Maribe records a statement at the Kilimani Police Station and is later taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.
Police recover a partially burnt white robe, T-shirt, cap and other clothing in Ms Maribe's compound, collect them for forensic exam.
- Friday, September 28
Ms Kimani is buried at her home in Gilgil, her family says they have forgiven her killers but are keen to ensure that justice is done.
Police arrest Mr Kassaine at his house at Royal Park Estate, officers led by Mr Maxwell Otieno recover a Ceska Pistol, Model CZP-07, Serial Number 467102, a spent cartridge and 62 rounds of 9mm ammunition hidden in the ceiling.
They also confiscate a firearms certificate for verification by the Central Firearms Bureau.
- Saturday, September 29
Ms Maribe is arrested at her house at the Royal Park Estate and detained at Gigiri Police Station.
- Monday, October 1
Ms Maribe and Ms Kassaine are produced at Kiambu Law Courts on separate schedules, court grants investigating officers 10 days to detain each. Days will not include the October 10 public holiday.