The late Monica Kimani’s father Bishop Paul Ngarama revealed that he has forgiven Joseph Irungu alias Jowie in a bid to gain closure,
Speaking to Kenya Diaspora Media Mr Ngarama shared his plans to visit Jowie in prison as well as try to reconcile the three families (his family, Jaque Maribe and Jowie’s family).
“When I go back to Kenya, I will visit Jowie in prison and have a conversation because he is like my son,” stated Ngarama.
“I want this to be part of the reconciliation process among the three families – that of Jowie, Jaque Maribe and my family,” he added.
He however divulged that getting to this point was not as easy as it appears. “After going through the pain of losing a child, I asked God many questions. God told me to forgive the killer(s), and I even wrote a book about forgiveness titled ‘Endurance in Grief’.”
“For me, forgiveness was the hardest decision to make, but it is necessary for closure.”
“I want to spearhead reconciliation and bring the three families together. We must preach forgiveness and let the matter rest.”
Jowie sentenced to death
Jowie was handed a death sentence for the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
High Court judge Justice Grace Nzioka ruled on the matter on Wednesday, March 13.
“The 1st accused person before this court being Joseph Kuria Irungu alias Jowie shall suffer death as provided for the offence of murder under Section 254 of the Penal Code of Kenya,” she read the judgement.
Justice Grace Nzioka pointed out that murder, which Jowie was found guilty of, is the highest form of loss not only to the victim (Monica Kimani’s) family but to society in general.
“In the offence of murder, one person’s life ends, but a countless number of lives are forever impacted,” she added.
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Further, that murder leads to shattered dreams for the victim and their families, as well as the offender and their own families.
In Jowie’s submission, he appealed for a more lenient sentence saying he was on the verge of registering his own security firm after years of serving other people.
“The report indicates that at the time he (Jowie Irungu) was arrested, he was providing security to persons in politics and was at an advanced stage of registering his own security firm,” ruled court.
Jowie was declared guilty of Monica Kimani’s murder in her Lamuria Gardens Apartment in Nairobi on the night of September 19, 2018.
In the February 9 verdict, Justice Grace Nzioka said her ruling was based on 13 findings which placed Jowie Irungu at the scene of murder.
These include; a stolen identity card, brown shorts and maroon cap he was wearing that day, a white kanzu, among other witness statements that all corroborated with investigators’ evidence.
Consequently, Justice Nzioka declared Jowie Irungu guilty for the offence of first degree murder and handed him death sentence today (March 13, 2024).
In his submission, Jowie maintained innocence and expressed disappointment in the court for linking him to Monica Kimani’s murder.
