Kiambu murder suspect Lawrence Warunge unfit to stand trial, court rules

Lawrence Warunge, the main suspect in the Kiambu killings.

The main suspect in the Kiambu killings, Lawrence Warunge, is not fit to stand trial, the court has ruled.

This is after a psychiatric report was presented at Kiambu Law Courts on Tuesday.

Warunge is set to be evaluated and treated in the next 30 days after which more tests will be conducted to assess whether he is fit to stand trial.

Chief magistrate Patricia Gichohi granted the application where Warunge will be held in police custody in Nairobi until March 1, 2021, when the matter will be mentioned.

The second suspect, Sarah Muthoni, Warunge’s girlfriend, has been set free and will now testify as a prosecution witness in the case.

Sarah Muthoni [George Njunge, Standard]

Warunge had confessed to killing his father, mother, brother, cousin and a worker employed by his family.

According to an autopsy report, Ann Wanjiku, Warunge’s mother, had broken arms and is the only one who appears to have tried to block the attacker.

“The other victims seemed to have been caught off guard,” said Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor.

He further explained that there is a high likelihood there was only one attacker due to the nature of injuries on the victims.

“If they were more than one, the weapon used was similar but I think it was one person from what I have seen."

“When I look at the injuries they look similar and from my observation, it is most likely the weapon used was used on all victims,” Dr. Oduor said.

He added that: “All of them died because of multiple injuries which are caused by blunt and penetrating trauma and also a significant loss of blood.”