Murder suspect Karani fails to take plea despite being mentally fit to stand trial

Evans Karani, 38 allegedly killed his lover Catherine Nyokabi, 25, on April 14, 2021. [File, Standard]

 

Evans Karani, the 38-year-old man accused of killing his lover in Juja on April 14, failed to take plea on Tuesday, May 4 because he did not have a legal representative.

 

The Kiambu Law Courts, consequently, directed that Karani be charged with murder on Wednesday, May 5, when he will take plea.

Mental tests conducted on the suspect at the Kiambu Level 5 Hospital last week revealed Karani was fit to stand trial.

Kiambu Law Courts Deputy Registrar, Wilson Radin, said the State will provide the suspect with a lawyer to facilitate the trial.

Karani will remain in custody at the Juja Police Station pending his plea-taking.

The suspect shocked Kenyans on April 19, when he told Thika Senior Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyanga that the Judiciary shouldn’t waste time on his case, and should, instead, jail him as quickly as possible.

A postmortem conducted on Karani’s lover, Catherine Nyokabi, 25, indicated she died of blunt force trauma.

Nyokabi’s body was found abandoned in Karani’s car on April 14 on Bob Harris road in Juja, Kiambu County.

Karani would, a day later, be arrested at his Githurai Kimbo home over the vicenarian’s death.

The suspect allegedly confessed to killing Nyokabi after she left him for another man.

Nyokabi was buried on April 20 at her parents’ home Kieni East, Nyeri County.