High Court Judge Chacha Mwita has declined a request to allow murder convict Joseph “Jowie” Irungu to attend his father’s funeral today at Nakuru South Cemetery.
Irungu, sentenced to death for the murder of Monicah Kimani, will not be able to bid farewell to his father, Julius Irungu, who succumbed to cancer on June 15.
This decision comes despite a groundbreaking February ruling by High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi, which asserted the right of prisoners and detainees to attend the funerals of close family members.
Mugambi’s ruling mandated that prisoners should be treated humanely, including the right to participate in family burials, barring compelling reasons to deny such permission.
Irungu’s mother, Anastacia Thama, who had offered to cover all expenses for her son’s temporary release, expressed deep frustration over the lack of response from the Commissioner General of Prisons.
Her pleas to allow Irungu to attend his father’s burial went unanswered, highlighting significant bureaucratic hurdles.
