Three former Cabinet Secretaries, current five Senators, 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) and five parastatal officials are now expected to testify in the alleged planned assassination of the then Deputy President William Ruto in 2019 at La Mada Hotel.
The government officials and politicians will appear in court in March 2023 as defence witnesses of former State House Digital Communications Director Dennis Itumbi to prove that a meeting was held at La Mada Hotel and a discussion about Ruto's assassination happened.
At the same time, a video of the meeting is also expected to be played in court to show that the meeting took place and the assassination of Ruto was discussed in May 2019.
The new development emerged on Monday, November 28 when Itumbi's defence hearing came up before Milimani Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi.
"I urge the court to adjourn this matter for hearing today because l shall be calling witnesses. Five current Senators, three CS,14 MPs, five former MPs, and five parastatals officials attended the La Mada meeting. I pray for a non-parliamentary day so that l can avail my defence witnesses to testify," Itumbi said.
Itumbi claims that the video and the said witnesses whose names were not disclosed in court will prove that the letter that he is accused of authoring was a forwarded letter.
Assassination plot video
As a consequence, the trial magistrate allowed Itumbi's request to enable him to prepare his witnesses and avail the video clip of the meeting.
Magistrate Shitubi also directed the Milimani Law Courts ICT Department to prepare a screen to enable the playing of the ‘La Mada video’ in court.
Itumbi is expected to defend himself on March 20, 2023 after the court found him with a case to answer and put him on his defence over the alleged fake assassination letter.
In the case, Itumbi was found with a case to answer together with his co-accused person Samwel Gateri in September 2021.
According to the charge sheet, the two, on or before June 20, 2019, published a letter dated May 30, 2019, with the intent to cause anxiety to the general public.
Itumbi is charged with making a false document without authority and publishing a false statement.
The prosecution claims he authored the said letter dated May 30, 2019, purporting it to be a genuine document made by a Cabinet Secretary a fact he knew to be false.
