Monica Kimani Biography, Wiki, Husband, Age, Kids, Parents, Death, Full Story & More
Monica Kimani was a 28-year-old Kenyan businesswoman who had made a fortune in South Sudan, where she ran a family cleaning company that served high-profile clients. She was also planning to marry her Sudanese fiancé, Yasir Mohammed, and celebrate her 29th birthday in style. But her life was cut short in a brutal murder that shocked the nation and sparked a sensational trial that involved a TV news anchor and her fiancé, a former security guard.
Monica Kimani Wiki/Bio
| Name | Monica Kimani |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1990 |
| Date of death | On September 19, 2018 |
| Place of death | Lamuria Gardens Apartment, Kilimani, Nairobi |
| Cause of death | Murder (throat slit) |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Ethnicity | Kikuyu |
| Religion | Christian |
| Parents | Paul Ngarama (father), a pastor and founder of Rebuilding Apostolic Faith Mission church |
| Siblings | George Kimani (brother) |
| Education | Technical University of Kenya, where she studied International Relations |
| Occupation | Businesswoman and managing director of Millipaul General Trading Ltd, a family cleaning business in Juba, South Sudan |
| Clients | UAP Insurance based at Equatorial Towers |
| Properties | Houses in Ruaka and Imara Daima in Nairobi, and parcels of land in Joska along Kangundo Road |
| Fiancé | Yasir Mohammed, a Sudanese national |
| Murder suspects | Joshua Irungu alias Jowie and Jacqueline Maribe, a former TV news anchor |
| Links | Instagram- #monicakimani Homepage- Newsunzip |
Biography
Monica Kimani was born 1990 (age: 28 years, as of 2023), in Thika, Kenya, to Reverend Paul Ngarama and Miriam Kimani. She was the second-born in a family of four children. Her father was the founder of Rebuilding Apostolic Faith Mission church, which had branches in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Monica attended Thika High School and later joined the Technical University of Kenya, where she studied a course in international relations. She was a bright and ambitious student who dreamed of becoming a diplomat. She also had a passion for business and entrepreneurship.
Career
In 2010, Monica Kimani moved to South Sudan with her father, who had established a cleaning company called Millipaul General Trading Ltd. The company offered services such as laundry, fumigation, and garbage collection to various organizations and institutions in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan. Some of the company’s clients included UAP Insurance, Equatorial Towers, and the South Sudanese government.
She worked as the managing director of the company, overseeing its operations and finances. She was also in charge of marketing and networking with potential customers. She was a hardworking and determined woman who had a knack for making deals and closing contracts. She was also generous and charitable, supporting various causes and helping the needy in South Sudan.
She lived a lavish lifestyle, owning houses in Ruaka and Imara Daima in Nairobi, and parcels of land in Joska along Kangundo Road. She also drove expensive cars and wore designer clothes and accessories. She loved to travel and explore new places, often flying to Dubai, Europe, and America for shopping and leisure.
She was also planning to wed her Sudanese fiancé, Yasir Mohammed, who was a businessman and a politician. Yasir was the son of Daniel Awet Akot, the deputy speaker of the South Sudanese parliament. Monica and Yasir had met in Juba and had been dating for two years. They were set to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony in Dubai, where Monica had booked a flight to join him.
Height, Weight
- Height: around 5 ft 4 in or 162 cm
- Weight: around 55 kg or 121 lbs
- Eye color: dark brown
How did Monica Kimani die?
On September 19, 2018, Monica Kimani arrived in Nairobi from Juba, where she had gone to collect some money from a business deal. She told her brother, George Kimani, that she was going to Dubai the next day for her birthday and wedding preparations. She checked into her apartment at Lamuria Gardens in Kilimani, off Dennis Pritt Road, and invited some friends over for a drink.
Among the guests who came to her apartment that night were a Lebanese neighbor, a Kenyan neighbor, and a man who introduced himself as Dominic Kamau. The man was dressed in a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, a cap, and a white robe, popularly known as a kanzu. He hugged her and went straight to the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of wine. He claimed to be a friend of Monica’s from South Sudan, who had come to deliver some documents to her.
The neighbors left Monica and the man in the white robe in the flat around 9 pm. The man was later identified as Joseph Irungu Kuria, alias Joe Jowie, the fiancé of Jacque Wangui Maribe, a news anchor at Citizen TV. Irungu was a former security guard who had worked in the Middle East and had also landed security contracts during party functions. He was also a licensed gun holder who often frequented shooting ranges in the city.
According to the prosecution, Irungu killed Monica that night by slitting her throat and leaving her body in the bathtub, with her hands and feet tied, and her mouth taped shut. He then left the apartment around 3.35 am, driving a silver Toyota Allion, KCA 031E, that belonged to Maribe. He was captured by street cameras in the car with an unidentified man.
The next day, Monica’s brother, George, who had failed to reach her the whole night, decided to visit her apartment with his girlfriend, to check on her. With the help of some neighbors and a friend, they broke into the flat and found her lifeless body in the bathroom. They called the police, who arrived at the scene and took the body to Chiromo Mortuary. They also launched an investigation into the murder.
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What happened to her killers?
The police traced Irungu to Maribe’s house in Lang’ata, where they arrested him on September 25, 2018. They also arrested Maribe, who had driven Irungu to Lang’ata Police Station earlier that day, claiming that he had been shot by three thugs as he entered the house. The police dismissed the shooting claims and searched the house, where they recovered a live bullet under Maribe’s bed and found a bullet hole on the wall, covered with wheat flour dough. They also seized the silver Toyota Allion that Irungu had used on the night of the murder.
The police also arrested Brian Kassaine, a neighbor of Maribe, who had given Irungu a gun that he allegedly used to shoot himself in the chest. Kassaine later turned into a state witness and was released. The police also questioned several other people who were linked to the case, including Maribe’s colleagues at Citizen TV, Monica Kimani friends and family, and Irungu’s associates.
Irungu and Maribe were charged with the murder of Monica Kimani and pleaded not guilty. They were denied bail and remanded in custody. The trial began in June 2019 and lasted for over two years, with 34 witnesses testifying for the prosecution and six for the defense. The case attracted a lot of public attention and media coverage, as it involved prominent personalities and gruesome details.
On October 6, 2023, the High Court in Nairobi delivered its judgment in the case, finding Irungu and Maribe guilty of the murder of Monica Kimani. The judge said that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the two had acted jointly and in concert to kill her, and that they had a common intention to do so.
The judge also said that the evidence showed that Irungu was the one who physically killed Monica, while Maribe aided and abetted him by providing him with the car, the gun, and the cover-up story. The judge also dismissed the defense’s arguments that the two were innocent and that they had been framed by the police.
The judge sentenced Irungu and Maribe to life imprisonment, saying that they had committed a heinous and cold-blooded crime that deserved the maximum penalty. The judge also said that the two had shown no remorse or empathy for the victim or her family, and that they had wasted the court’s time and resources by lying and changing their stories. The judge also ordered the two to pay compensation to Monica’s family for the loss of their loved one.
Irungu and Maribe appealed the verdict, claiming that they had been denied a fair trial and that the judge had erred in law and in fact. They also asked for a retrial or a reduction of their sentence. However, their appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which upheld the High Court’s decision and confirmed their conviction and sentence. The Court of Appeal said that the evidence against the two was overwhelming and conclusive and that the trial judge had correctly applied the law and the facts. The Court of Appeal also said that the two had not shown any grounds for a retrial or a leniency.
Irungu and Maribe are currently serving their life sentences at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison and Lang’ata Women’s Prison respectively. They have exhausted all their legal options and have no chance of getting out of prison, unless they are granted a presidential pardon, which is highly unlikely.
Husband, Boyfriend, Kids
Monica Kimani was engaged to a Sudanese politician, Daniel Awet Akot, who was the deputy speaker of the South Sudan National Assembly. The two met in Juba, where she ran a family cleaning business, and fell in love, despite the age difference and the fact that Akot was already married with children. She planned to marry him and settle in South Sudan, where she had acquired citizenship.
However, Monica’s love life was not without controversy. Some sources claimed that she had an affair with Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, the main suspect in her murder case. Irungu was the fiancé of Jacque Maribe, a news anchor at Citizen TV. Irungu allegedly killed her in her apartment in Kilimani, Nairobi, after robbing her of some money and valuables. He then drove away in a car that belonged to her brother.
Monica’s brother, George, denied that his sister and Irungu had a romantic relationship, and said they were just friends. He also said that she was happy with Akot, and was looking forward to their wedding. Akot, on the other hand, has not commented publicly on her death or their relationship. He is said to be a powerful and influential figure in South Sudan, with close ties to President Salva Kiir.
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $500,000 |
Her Legacy
Monica Kimani’s murder was one of the most shocking and tragic cases in Kenya’s history, as it exposed the dark side of the glamorous and wealthy lifestyle that many young people aspire to. It also revealed the dangers and challenges that women face in the business world, especially in conflict-ridden countries like South Sudan. It also raised questions about the role of the media and the public in reporting and following such cases, and the need for ethical and responsible journalism.
