Former Cabinet minister Mbiyu Koinange's widow Eddah Wanjiru leaves the High Court in Nakuru on February 25, 2013. [Photo:nation.co.ke]
The Court of Appeal has temporarily stopped prosecution of former Cabinet minister Mbiyu Koinange’s widow, Eddah Wanjiru.Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) instituted another case of attempted murder against Ms Wanjiru in 2012, two years after she was charged with murder of a lands right activist.
Court of Appeal judges GBM Kariuki, Fatuma Sichale and Sankale ole Kantai ruled that if the case before the magistrate’s court in Nakuru continued, Wanjiru's appeal would be rendered useless.
“We have no hesitation in making a finding that if indeed the trial of the applicant was to proceed, then her intended appeal would be but a sham as she would suffer the rigours and stigma of a criminal trial,” the judges ruled.
Wanjiru, through Lawyer Paul Muite, claimed the DPP wanted to ensure her chance of avoiding conviction were slim or none.