Maribe’s house help revisits the night Jowie shot himself

The househelp to TV journalist Jacque Maribe has taken the court through the events of the night Joseph Irungu alias Jowie shot himself.

Paemla Kembo also told the court that Jowie used to take Jacque Maribe to work on regular basis and then return home, mostly to sleep.

Kembo told a Milimani Law Court that after dropping Maribe at work, Jowie would routinely return to the house and later in the evening he would pick her from work. 

Kembo said before she went to work for Maribe, she was working for journalist Terryanne Chebet for over 5 years.

She noted that she stopped working at Chebet's home after she was fired from Citizen.

"Chebet was the one who took me to work for Maribe where I was staying with her and her son alone before Jowie moved in, in June 2018," she said.

Kembo narrated how Maribe introduced Jowie to her as being an army officer who worked in Dubai.

She also told the court that Maribe informed her that Jowie was also working at State House.

During her stay in the house, Kembo spotted a gun which she asked Maribe and was told that it belonged to Jowie.

Later on after staying in the house for sometime, Kembo said she could see how Jowie used to take Maribe at work and back in the evening using her car.

"All he did was to take Maribe to work and come back to sleep.  On September 19, he took Jacque to work and came back to sleep," Kembo told the court.

Pamela Kembo, a state witness and former Jackie Maribe's househelp after testifying before the Milimani Law Court on November 28, 2019.
Image: ENOS TECHE

"At around 4 pm he left the house carrying a back bag. He was in grey shorts, white shirt and sneakers. He left with Jacque's car," she said.

"Both of them did not come back that night and I didn't hear them when they came back."

Kembo said on September 20, Jowie took Maribe to work as usual and came back to sleep.

"Later that evening he left again. At around 1 am that night I heard Jowie shouting out to Brian (Kasaine) for help. I left my room and found Jowie's clothes and possession downstairs," she narrated.

Later, Kembo saw Brian Kasaine, the neighbor and his wife come in asking for Jowie's ID.

"Brian was saying they can't take him to hospital without an ID. I then saw Jacque come from upstairs and followed Brian and the wife outside. Jowie was inside Maribe's car backseat with blood oozing from him," she said.

Kembo said Jowie was wearing a vest when the four of them left.

"I then went upstairs to check on the baby. I saw their bedroom light on and decided to go switch it off. Upon arrival, I saw a gun down there and blood on the floor," she said.

"The blood was near their bathroom. I then went downstairs and called Chebet who I briefed about the occurrences."

But Kembo said Chebet told her to sleep adding that she did not sleep because she was shaken.

"Jowie and Jacque came back and his hand had been bandaged. They then went upstairs to sleep," she said.

On September 21, Maribe left for work at 3 pm and her mom also followed her with the child.

Later that evening, Brian came and asked for the car keys saying he was taking Jowie back to hospital.

Kembo said she gave him the car key and he went upstairs to pick Jowie and brought him down.

"They didn't come back. And Jacque also didn't come back until the next morning Saturday," she said.

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Kembo said she spent the night at Terryanne Chebet's house adding that Jowie was brought back on Monday evening by Brian at 6 pm.

"Maribe came back at 8 pm and went to bed. Brian was also in the house. The next day policemen came to the house. They had guns but I saw them when they were leaving," she recounted.

"They went to the master bedroom and left at 7.20 am with Jowie. I do not know where they went. Later Maribe left for work using an Uber."

Kembo said Jowie came back at 2pm with the cops adding that she was told to take the child to Brian's house.

"The police left at 6.30. Jowie then came and told m to go lock the house and left with the cops," she said.

She adde that Maribe's dad called her and told her to take the child to Buru Buru.

Kembo said that when she peeped into the house, it had been turned upside down.

"I had called Terryanne and told her I'm going home but she told me to go to her house in Kilimani instead of going to Kitale. Maribe's mother gave me Sh1,000," she said.

She got to Chebet's house and stayed there.

Since then, Kembo told the Court that she has never seen either Jacque or Jowie.

"I was in good terms with Jacque but not Jowie. At one point, Jowie accused me of stealing the house rent," she said.

This made her want to quit in August 2018 but Maribe's mother begged her to stay.

"I never heard any gun shot on that night that Jowie allegedly shot himself."

She says she does not know how Jowie's clothes got downstairs.

"...and I removed them from there to avoid the baby asking me why daddy's clothes were there. According to me they were staying well together I never saw anything bad between them for the time I stayed with them."