Porkies Club Owner, 5 Employees Are Guilty of Killing Ex-Juja MP George Thuo, Court Rules

 

The owner of Porkies Club and a friend of the late Juja MP, George Thuo, is among six people who have been found guilty of the murder of the former legislator, which took place 11 years ago. Justice Roselyn Korir said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. When was George Thuo killed? Thuo collapsed on November 17, 2013, when he was having drinks at Club Porkies at around 10 p.m. According to The Standard, friends and relatives reported that he was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to a nearby hospital in Thika town.  Following the incident, police arrested and charged six people, including Porkies Club owner Paul Wainaina Boiyo. Other suspects who were charged and have been convicted include Christopher Lumbasio Andika, Andrew Karanja Wainaina, Samuel Kuria Ngugi, Esther Ndinda Mulinge, and Ruth Vanessa Irungu. What killed former Juja MP George Thuo? According to the court, medical reports presented showed that the deceased's body had pesticide components. Lady Justice Roslyne Korir said that it was clear from the evidence adduced in court that Thuo died as a result of Cyhalothrin poisoning( a pesticide) from a Tusker beer bottle that was laced with the chemical. In a judgment delivered on Friday, April 19, Korir said that the prosecution had proven its case against the six beyond a reasonable doubt, and they must mitigate before she sentences them. They are accused of conspiring to poison the MP. The court was told that three suspects were sitting at the same table with the MP when he ingested the poisonous drink and collapsed. Judge Korir ruled that there was overwhelming evidence to show that Boiyo alias Sheki, the proprietor of Porkies, Lumbasio alias Lumba, DJs Karanja and Kuria alias Visi, Ndinda, a waiter, and a patron, Irungu alias Atlanta, participated in the murder of Thuo. Woman who bought a deadly drink for George Thuo The court dismissed the sixth accused's (Vanessa Irungu's) claim that she bought the former MP a drink to get change for the KSh 1,000 note. Irungu said that when looking for a change, she saw the MP, hugged him, and bought him a drink. The court questioned the motive of the hug and compared it to a Judas hug. "Was the sixth accused's hug a Judas kiss and a Kikulacho ki nguoni mwako scenario? The evidence presented in the court showed that she was a regular client and would have gotten change without buying the deceased a drink," the judge stated.  Who served George Thuo a poisonous drink? Ndinda, the fifth accused, allegedly served Thuo with the spiked drink. The judge said the drink buyer, the three people who shared a table with him, and the waiter had an opportunity to tamper with Thuo's drink. "I find that the forensic evidence clearly shows Thuo consumed a poison-laced drink at Porkies Club. Other bottles at the scene with the poison were a diversionary tactic, as no one else died or complained of the drinks, and there was no evidence to show that Thuo consumed more than three bottles of Tusker Lite," the court observed. According to the court, Wainaina was the owner of Club Porkies, where Thuo's drink was allegedly spiked, and Lumbasio was the deceased's close friend. Korir, in her verdict, added that during the hearing, Boiyo testified that when Thuo began to complain that he was feeling hot, Boiyo removed his vest.  "Paul Boiyo denied poisoning Thuo. He testified that Thuo was his close friend for many years. He said on the material day, he joined Thuo at Porkies and found him with the second and third accused persons. George Thuo's reaction to poisonous beer "Thuo was taking a warm and cold tusker. While drinking, Thuo said he was feeling hot. Boiyo took him to his office, where he removed his vest and took it to his car. He later collapsed. Boiyo said that Thuo had been a close friend for many years, and he could not have poisoned him," the judge noted. Justice Korir insisted that the circumstantial evidence the prosecution produced was sufficient to sustain a conviction. "I find that the circumstantial evidence the state produced was sufficient. It was not merely based on suspicion. The motive is not a necessary ingredient for the offence of murder," she noted.  She explained that, despite the prosecution evidence not showing that any of the accused persons had the poison, that alone was not enough to exonerate them if there was any circumstantial evidence linking them to the murder. "Poison is a chemical weapon. I reject the submission that they would be acquitted if they were not found in possession of the poison," said the judge. Cases of revellers' drinks being spiked by sedatives or poison are common in nightclubs. In 2023, a man in Kasarani narrowly slipped through the hands of a woman who invited him to her house for drinks and a good time, only to spike his drinks. He noticed the stupefying pill in his drink and ran from the house after reporting the matter to the police. 

by  Michael Ollinga Oruko Zipporah Weru