Witnesses link prison warder to murder of colleague

The testimonies of two Nakuru prison warders have linked Joseph Kairu, a warder, to the abduction and murder of their colleague Caroline Chesire.

According to Constable Lukas Gitau, who was the victim’s neighbour, Kairu, alias JB, went to Chesire’s house on April 4, two days after her disappearance.

Gitau, testifying before Justice Rachel Ng’etich on Tuesday, said his wife informed him that Kairu wanted to break into Chesire’s house to get some documents. He said his wife informed him that Kairu claimed he had been sent by Chesire to break in and get some crucial documents.

Gitau testified that he called and warned Kairu not to engage his wife in any fishy businesses such as breaking into a neighbour’s house without her (Chesire’s) permission.

“The same day Kairu informed my wife that Chesire had sent him to break into her house is the same day one of our colleagues informed us that she had disappeared,” said Gitau.

Gitau said he informed Kairu that if anything happened to Chesire, he (Gitau) would be the first to report it to the police.

“Kairu apologised about engaging my wife in any conversation that was illegal,” he said.

According to Gitau, on April 3, at 7:30 am, Kairu went to his house and wanted to borrow his (Gitau’s) truck to ferry tomatoes from Nyahururu to Nakuru.

“I refused to lend him the pickup because I had trust issues. It was strange for Kairu to borrow my pickup since we have never been friends, neither have we had any transactions with him before,” he said.

He told the judge Kairu started asking where Chesire was and even went to her door to confirm that she was not in. Gitau testified that he later learnt that Chesire had been abducted and killed.

Marion Chelimo, another warder, testified that Kairu went to her house on April 3, at 10 pm.

She told the court he was tensed, panicky, trembling and sweating when she opened the door for him that night.

“He told me that he had found his lover sleeping with another man after he came from a business trip in Nyahururu,” she testified.

She said Kairu was stressed and wanted to take a bath at her house, which felt strange and uncomfortable, adding that it was also late in the night.

“The accused requested for some water to take a bath. I told him to wait for my boyfriend so he could explain everything to him but he was impatient and insisted on his request. I went to the bedroom and texted my boyfriend who came 20 minutes later,” she testified.

She said their attempt to go to Kairu’s and solve the matter were futile, as he refused to heed to their suggestions.

“As he was going out, he requested for water. I gave him a jug full of water. He poured all of it on his face, wiped it with his T-shirt and left.”

Kairu is charged alongside Warder Raymond Kiplimo with the murder of Chesire, a prison warder at Nakuru Women’s GK Prison on the night of April 2 or morning of April 3, in Subukia, Nakuru County.