Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Gender Aisha Jumwa is now off the hook after High Court in Mombasa withdrew murder charges against.
The new development comes a month after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) applied to withdraw the case saying the CS will instead become statewitness in the case.
Jumwa was being charged alongside her bodyguard Geoffrey Okuto with the murder of Ngumbao Jola who was shot dead during a ward by-election in Kilifi County in 2019.
Murder charges against Jumwa terminated.
High Court Judge Ann Onginjo discharged Jumwa from the criminal proceedings and allowed her to be turned into a prosecution witness.
Jumwa to testify
Jumwa will now testify against her former aide Okuto.
"In consideration of the oral application made by the ODPP in November, followed by a letter from Coast Region Coodinator Hassan Abdi, now tabled in court Jumwa is hereby discharged from a murder suspect to a state witness," the judge said.
Justice Onginjo, however, warned that Section 87(a)1 under which Jumwa has been discharged does not prevent her from getting rearrested and facing murder charges in future.
Jumwa and Okuto were charged with the murder of ODM supporter Jola Ngumbao in Malindi during campaigns for Ganda ward by-election.
Okuto, who appeared shocked by the new development, was charged afresh with the murder of Ngumbao.
He pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.
