Joseph Kuria Irungu, widely known as Jowie, has not been granted a presidential pardon, contrary to recent media reports, his lawyer Andrew Muge has clarified. Muge refuted claims that Jowie was among 57 inmates pardoned by President William Ruto in a move aimed at fostering rehabilitation and restorative justice.
The confusion arose after a gazette notice named a “Joseph Irungu Maina” as one of the pardoned prisoners, serving time at Naivasha Prison. However, Muge pointed out that this individual is not his client. “Jowie is currently held at Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi, not Naivasha,” he emphasized.
Muge further stated that a presidential pardon is not necessary for Jowie, as his legal team is optimistic that their appeal against his conviction will succeed. “We do not need the pardon as the appeal will succeed soon as it is in play,” he asserted.
Jowie was sentenced to death on March 13, 2024, by Lady Justice Grace Nzioka for the brutal 2018 murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani. Kimani was found slain in her apartment at Lamuria Gardens in Nairobi on the night of September 19, 2018, in a case that drew national attention.
The appeal process, however, has encountered delays due to bureaucratic issues within the judiciary. Muge explained that in criminal cases, unlike civil ones, it is the responsibility of the judiciary’s criminal registry to prepare and submit the record of appeal—a task that has yet to be fulfilled in Jowie’s case.
“Unfortunately, the criminal registry has been the cause of the delay in moving the appeal,” Muge said, adding that the appeal remains pending until the required documentation is submitted to the Court of Appeal and involved parties.
Despite the setbacks, Muge expressed optimism that progress has been made in recent weeks. “We have some movement over the last two weeks, and hopefully the record will be provided as required under the Court of Appeal rules,” he noted.
As Jowie awaits the next steps in his legal battle, his legal team remains confident that justice will ultimately be served through the appellate court.
