Citizen TV News Presenter Jacque Maribe's Boss Defends Her, Urges Court to Free Her on Bail

Royal Media Services, which operates Citizen TV has come to the defence of its employee, Jacque Maribe who is charged with the murder of business lady Monica Kimani.

The media house, through its Managing Director Wachira Waruru, has urged the court to release the news anchor on bail.

In a letter to probation officers, Waruru says he is confident that the journalist will strictly adhere to bail conditions if freed.

“Having engaged her for the last six years and assessing her performance, we hereby vouch for her character and recommend for her admission to bail,” Waruru notes.

This comes a day after the news anchor was charged afresh with the murder of Ms Kimani alongside her fiancée Joseph "Jowie" Irungu.

Waruru further says that Maribe has a clean record of employment citing her work experience as a reporter, which recently earned her a promotion to the position of Friday Prime Time news presenter.

"Maribe joined the company as a reporter on Citizen Television and was later promoted to the position of senior reporter on the same station. Arising from the promotion, she was assigned huge national and international events which she undertook successfully. Recently due to her exceptional performance, she has been appointed to the position of Friday’s prime time news anchor on Citizen Television,” he adds

Maribe and Jowie remain in custody until Tuesday, October 30th when Justice James Wakiaga will issue a ruling on their bail application.

The prosecution has urged the court not to free Maribe arguing she could use her association with influential persons to interfere with and intimidate witnesses. They also say that the news anchor's affidavit is not entirely truthful.

“The rights of the accused and the rights of the deceased must be balanced as well as securing the evidence that will be rendered by the Prosecution,”the prosecution says.

Maribe is currently being held at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison while Irungu remains at the Industrial Area Remand Prison.

Ms Kimani was murdered at her apartment in Nairobi's Kilimani estate hours after she returned to the country from South Sudan, where she managed a family business. 

Her lifeless body was found dumped in a bathtub with the throat slit. Her legs and hands were tied.