There was drama in Embu high court when the suspect linked to the death of seven family members in Runyenjes Embu East was arraigned to face murder charges.
The suspect, Boaz Wanjala, covered his face using a jumper hood that he donned.
It took the intervention of Embu High Court judge Lucy Njuguna who ordered him to remove the hood and face the court upright. Journalists who were covering the court proceedings had to scramble to get the best shots of the suspect’s face.
Wanjala was charged with seven murder accounts. He is suspected to have murdered seven people on 2nd October 2022 in Ngimari Village In Embu West Subcounty.
Wanjala is charged to have murdered Charles Kariuki (50) his wife Catherine Wanjiru Kariuki [46], their three children Judy Wanjiru Kariuki [23] Maryan Murugi Kariuki [14] ,Joel Njeru Kariuki [7] and their two grandchildren Tumaini Blessing Judy [5] and Prince Baraka Judy [3] .
He pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts.
The suspect was arrested in Kakamega county after he allegedly sent his ex-wife a message questioning whether she was still alive even after the fire incident that razed down a house
where his seven family members were sleeping.
Detectives who spoke to the press in Kakamega said that the suspect had disagreed with his wife leading to them parting ways and the woman later married another man in the village.
”We are treating him as the main suspect behind the arson incident,” Joseph Kigen, Kakamega County Police Commander said when the suspect was arrested.
The couple, according to detectives, had two children together before they separated.
After the suspect learned that the woman he had married had remarried, he is said to have sent her a text message threatening to set their family home on fire.
He is however said to have mistakenly set a neighbour’s house on fire in which a man, his wife, their three children and two grandchildren were killed, sending a whole village in grief.
The seven family members were burnt beyond recognition.
After the fire incident, the suspect is said to have sent a text message to his former wife expressing shock that she was still alive even after the fire incident.
The suspect then switched off his phone and went to hide in a rural home before sleuths pounced on him.
The case will be mentioned on 20th this month when a prebail report will be tabled .
