The suspects were arrested in Marurui area in Kiambu County. [Photo/Capital FM]
New details about suspects of the infamous Sh52 million Thika bank swoop continues to baffle minds of many Kenyans even as their case moves on.
Responses gathered from parents of two of three suspects Harlford Munene Murakaru, and Charles Mwangi Murakaru depict young men who excelled in many other aspects of normal societal development.
Titus Murakaru Githui, father of the two and his wife Esther Nyaguthi gave an account of how they knew their otherwise hardworking sons before the shocking news of their role in robbing Kenya Commercial Bank, Thika branch tens of millions.
Titus Murakaru Githui told local press that he was not surprised that his children may have been involved in the alleged robbery.
Why is Murakaru not moved?
He believes his sons, together with their third accomplice Julius Ndung’u Wainaina were probably “wrongly inspired” by runaway scenes of corruption and impunity in the country.
Ndung’u is said to be a friend to the two Murakaru brothers.
Nation reports that an “unapologetic” Githui regarded the theft as a “societal problem.”
He cited the multi-billion-shilling National Youth Service and the Health ministry scandals, saying they could have “inspired’ his sons to engage in the theft (if indeed they were involved).
“The perpetrators of these scandals got away with it. We know them and they are still at large,” Githui was quoted by the daily.
“How do you tell your children not to do these things when senior government officials engage in blatant theft and get away with it?” he posed.
The 59 year old told reporters that he did his part to raise his children in a Christian way but the rotten society “out there” robbed the young men their principles.
He asked; “We raised our children in a Christian way and moral uprightness but when they go out there they hear of people carrying money in sacks and nothing happens to them, what prevents them from engaging in that kind of vice if they can also get away with it?”
Murakaru said after clearing university, his sons had not obtained formal employment but he understood they had a huge network of “business partners that engage in securing supply tenders.”
A childhood friend and schoolmate of Halford and Charles at Karura Primary School Kinyua Kimunyu told Nation that the two brothers were “brilliant and polite”.
The eldest son, Munene is an electrical and electronics engineering graduate while the second one, Mwangi, possesses a degree in agricultural engineering.
School records, as reported by Standard show Mwangi scored the highest marks in his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) class of 2002 at Karura Primary School with 409 marks out of a possible 500.
This is a record the school is yet to break.
Menene, the brother also performed well in his examinations and were both admitted to Nyeri High School.
The two university graduates scored straight As at Nyeri High School and are, arguably, the brightest in their sleepy village.
Their mum, Esther Nyaguthii said that the two were passionate and were serial bookworms.
“They came home and studied together; they read anything they could find in the house and kept each other's company,” Nyaguthii said.
She explained that people often asked her if they were twins because “they did everything together, including walking to and from school.”
The suspects were arrested in Marurui area within Kiambu County and led police to a house in Juja where Sh17.6mn was recovered, according to police.
The three were released on a bond of Sh4 million each and a surety of the same amount by Thika Chief Magistrate Teresia Murigi ahead of the next hearing of the case on December 14, 2017.
They were granted bond after police failed to give evidence to qualify their application seeking to have the suspects detained for more days.