Saturday, June 22, 2024 - Jacque Maribe’s ex-lover and murder convict Joseph Irungu, commonly known as Jowie, will not be permitted to attend his father’s funeral, despite a landmark court ruling that allows prisoners to attend funerals of close family members.
In February, High Court Judge Lawrence
Mugambi ruled that prisoners and pretrial detainees have the right to attend
funerals of close family members, asserting their right to humane treatment.
This ruling came from a case filed by
journalist Moses Dola, who was imprisoned for the murder of his wife.
Justice Mugambi’s order included a directive
for Interior CS Kithure Kindiki to establish mechanisms to facilitate such
temporary releases
High
Court Judge Chacha Mwita declined to order the Kenya Prisons Service to escort
Jowie to Nakuru South Cemetery for his father, Julius Irungu’s burial.
Jowie had appealed to the
court to attend his father’s funeral.
His mother, Anastacia Thama,
expressed her willingness to cover the costs for his attendance and had written
to the Commissioner General of Prisons requesting permission.
Despite the urgency and the upcoming burial
date, there was no response from the authorities.
The Attorney General informed the court that,
despite the existing court orders, regulations to facilitate prisoners’
attendance at funerals were not yet in place.
Consequently, Judge Chacha Mwita ruled
against Jowie’s request to attend the funeral, making him ineligible to be the
first prisoner to benefit from Judge Mugambi’s February ruling.
Jowie’s mother, Anastacia Thama, highlighted
the emotional distress and the importance of her son’s presence at the funeral.
She conveyed her concerns regarding the
bureaucratic delays that might prevent timely feedback from the prison
authorities.
Despite her pleas and the court’s previous ruling, the lack of established regulations led to the decision that Jowie would remain in custody during his father’s burial.
The
Kenyan DAILY POST.
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