A suspect in the ongoing Muchai murder trial has raised serious concerns over his treatment at Kamiti Maximum Prison, citing inhumane conditions after being placed in isolation. Simon Wambugu, the seventh accused in the case, told a Nairobi court that he had unexpectedly been moved into a cold room where he remains confined throughout the day.
Appearing before the Chief Magistrate, Wambugu said that despite having spent over a decade in remand custody with fellow inmates, he had recently been subjected to solitary confinement in a cold room without any explanation. He described the room as perpetually locked, limiting his ability to determine whether it is day or night and severely restricting human interaction.
The magistrate questioned whether Wambugu had officially raised the matter with prison authorities. In response, the accused explained that he had only reported the issue to wardens and was unsure if the complaint had been escalated. The court directed the prison welfare officials to investigate and resolve the matter and scheduled a follow-up mention on August 26 to confirm that Wambugu’s concerns had been addressed.
Wambugu is the only suspect held at Kamiti, while his co-accused Eric Isabwa alias Chairman, Raphael Kimani alias Kim Butcher, Mustapha Kimani alias Musto, and Stephen Astiva alias Chokore are detained at the Industrial Area Remand Prison. Two others, Jane Wanjiru alias Shiro and Margaret Njeri, are held at Lang’ata Women’s Prison.
All seven individuals are charged with 10 counts of robbery with violence, with allegations extending beyond the murder of former Kabete Member of Parliament George Muchai to include incidents involving six other victims. The case has dragged on for more than a decade since the February 7, 2015 killing of Muchai, his two bodyguards, and driver in Nairobi’s central business district.
In the related murder trial ongoing at the High Court, 37 witnesses have testified against the accused. A ruling on whether the suspects have a case to answer is expected on September 23. Meanwhile, the magistrate court has directed that final submissions be highlighted on September 10 before a date for judgment is determined.
The case continues to draw public attention due to its complexity, high-profile nature, and the prolonged pre-trial detention of the accused.
