One of the accused persons in late Lower Kabete MP George Muchai robbery with violence case has now claimed that his arrest in the case is because he had a personal grudge with one of the police officers in the case who they were dating the same girl.
Stephene Astiva alias Kim Butcher was testifying in his defense case before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina in a bid to exonerate himself from the case.
This is the second case he is facing in court with murder being the other case that is proceeding at the high court.
As of today, Astiva has spent 10 years and 2 days in police cells after his arrest in 2015 following the death of the MP.
He claimed that Chief Magistrate prior to his arrest, he had a grudge with the police officer investigating the matter who allegedly arrested him over a woman who they were both dating.
He also denied being a tenant of the house where some of the exhibits were recovered further denying the receipts showing they were his but he said although the name in the receipt resembles his, the prosecution could not prove he was actually the tenant.
However, the prosecution in response to his allegations told him that his claims were purely afterthoughts as he did not inform the court over the said grudge during his first defense hearing.
In the case, Eric Isabwa alias chairman, Raphael Kimani alias Kim Butcher, Mustapha Kimani alias Musto, Stephen Astiva alias Chokore, Jane Wanjiru alias Shiro, Margaret Njeri and Simon Wambugu are charged with robbery with violence case that led to the murder of late George Muchai, his driver and two bodyguards.
The late George Muchai met his death in Nairobi’s Central Business District early Saturday morning of February 7, 2015, when an unknown assailant sprayed his car with bullets.
At the time,his wife and Children were in a different vehicle ahead of him and according to his daughter, at the material time, they were heading home from a family gathering in Westlands.
Chief Government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor who gave his evidence in 2023, said Muchai was shot at close range with a bullet lounged at a very high speed from either a G3 rifle or AK47 gun.
