Republic v Geoffrey Wachira Muthoni, Henry Munene Mugure, Samuel Murimi Wandia & Joseph Njagi Muriithi [2020] KEHC 2608 (KLR)

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA

AT KERUGOYA

HIGH COURT CRIMINAL MURDER: NO   12   OF  2014

(Consolidated with   Murder22 of 2014)

REPUBLIC...........................................................................................................PROSECUTOR

VERSUS

GEOFFREY   WACHIRA  MUTHONI.............................................................1ST ACCUSED

HENRY   MUNENE   MUGURE......................................................................2ND  ACCUSED

SAMUEL   MURIMI   WANDIA....................................................................3 RD   ACCUSED

JOSEPH  NJAGI  MURIITHI.........................................................................4TH   ACCUSED

RULING:

1.  The FOUR   accused  are   jointly charged  with  the  offence  of  murder  contrary  section  203  as read  with section  204  of   the  Penal  code.   The   particulars  of the  offence  are  that  on the  9th  of  September, 2013  at  Mahigaini village, Tembere  Location  within  Kirinyaga  County  unlawfully  murdered  Titus  Mwangi  Muiruri.

2. The  accused  persons  denied  the  charge,  the  prosecution   called   that  twelve  witnesses  in  support  of  the  case   and  in  an endeavor  to  prove  the   charge against  the  accused  persons.

3. The prosecution then closed their case and this is a ruling as to whether the accuseds’ persons have a case to answer.

4. I  have  considered  all  the  evidence  adduced,  this  court  is  supposed  to determine  whether  the  accused   should  be  called  upon  to give  their  defence  as  provided  under   Section  306  of   the  Criminal Procedure  Code  which  provides  as  follows;

Section  306 (1)  ( 2) (3) of  Criminal  Procedure  Code provides  that;

“When the evidence   of the witnesses for the prosecution has been concluded, the court, if it considers that there is no evidence that the accused   or anyone of several accused committed the offence shall after hearing if necessary any arguments which the advocate for  the  prosecution or  the  defence  may  desire to  submit  record a  finding  of  not  guilty. “

“When  the   evidence   of   the  prosecution  has  been  concluded   the  court  if it considers  that  there  is  evidence   that  the  accused  person  or  anyone   or  more  of  several   or  more  accused  persons  committed  the  offence  shall  inform  each  such  accused  person  of  his  right  to address  the  court   either  personally  or  by  his  advocate ( if  any)  to  give  evidence  on  his  own  behalf  or  to make  unsworn  statement  or  to call  witnesses  in  his  defence  and  in all cases  shall  require  him  or  his  advocate ( if  any)  to state  whether  it  is  intended  to  call any witnesses  as  to fact,  other  than  the  accused  person  himself,  and upon  being  informed  thereof  the  Judge  shall  record  that  fact.”

“If the  accused  person  says  that  he  does  not  intend  to give  evidence  or  make  an  unsworn  statement  or   to adduce  evidence  then  the  advocate  for  the  prosecution   may  sum  up the  case  against  the  accused  person,  but  if  the  accused  person  says  that  he  intends  to give evidence  or  make  unsworn  statement  or  to adduce  evidence  the  court  shall call upon him  to enter  upon  his  defence.”

5. I  have  considered  all the  evidence  adduced  by the prosecution  at  the  close  of   the  prosecution  case.

6. In Criminal cases the burden is on the prosecution to establish a prima facie case against the  accused.   The test of a  prima facie  case  was  laid  down  in the  case  of;  Ramanlal  Trambaklal  Bhatt  -versus-   Republic  (  1957)  EA  332 where  it  was stated  that  a  prima facie  case  is  one   on  which a  reasonable  tribunal   properly  directing  its  mind  to the  law  and   the  evidence  could  convict  if  no  explanation  is offered  by  the  defence.

7. A   Prima  facie  case  is  defined  in  Black’s  Law  Dictionary  10th  Edition as:-

“ sufficient  to e stablish a  fact  or  raise  a  presumption   unless  disapproved   or  reverted   based  on what  seems   to be   true  on  a  first  examination  even though  it  may  later  be   proved  to be  untrue.    At first  sight   on first  appearance   but  subject  to further  evidence  or  information…..”

It  further  defines a  prima  facie  case  as;

1. The establishment of a legally required  rebuttal  presumption.

2. A  parties  production  of  enough  evidence  to allow  it  to  infer  the  fact  at  issue   and  rule  in  parties  favour.

In Republic  -versus-  Jagijwan   M.  Patel and others  (1)  T.T.R  85    the  court  stated;

“ ………….  All the court  has  to decide  at  close  of   evidence  in  support  of  the  charge  is  whether  a case  is  made  out  against  the  accused just  sufficiently  to require  him to make his  defence   it  may be a strong  case  or  it may be  a weak  case.  The court is not  required  at  this state  to apply  its  mind  in deciding  finally  whether  the  evidence  is  worthy  of  credit  whether,   it  believed,  it  is  weighty    enough  to prove  the  case  conclusively,  beyond   reasonable  doubt.   A ruling that there is  a  case  to  answer  would be  justified,  in  my  opinion,  in a  border  line  case  where  the  court  though  not satisfied  as  to the  conclusiveness  of  the  prosecution  evidence,  is  yet  of the  opinion  that  the  case  made  out  is  one  which  on  full  consideration  might  possibly  be  thought sufficient  to  sustain  a  conviction.”

8. At  this  stage   what  the  court  is  required  to  do is to consider   is  whether  there  is  sufficient  evidence  that  establishes   a  prima  facie  case  to w arrant  the  accused  person  to be  put  on  their  defence.  I have considered   the  evidence  adduced  in  this  case,  I  have  also   considered  all the  submissions  made  by  the  counsels  on  record  for  the  accused  persons’.

9. The court at this stage is not required to give reasons, while making the  finding   that  a  prima  facie  case  has  been  established  but  only  to  weigh  the  evidence  in  its  entirety  and make  a  finding.

10.   I  have  considered  the  evidence  tendered  by the   prosecution    and  I  find  that   a  prima  facie  case  has been  established to warrant  the  accused  persons  to be  placed  on  their  defence  as  charged  with  the   offence   of   murderer  Contrary  to Section  203  as read  with  Section 204  of  the  Penal  Code  and   I order  that: Under  Section  306  (2)  the  accused  are  informed  of  their  right  to  address  the  court  either  personally   or by   their  advocate  or to  give  their evidence each on  his  own  behalf  or  to  make  unsworn  statement  and  call  witnesses  in their defence.

11. They shall state   whether   they intend to call any witnesses as to the fact other than their own testimonies themselves.

Dated at Kerugoya this 23rd  day of July 2020.

L.W.  GITARI

JUDGE