Nairobi: Three individuals have been convicted for the murder of Nairobi businessman Isaac Kassim Jiraw, also known as Sokorow, who was enticed to Kilifi under the pretext of securing a Sh23 million county government tender.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mombasa High Court Judge Justice Wendy Kagendo Micheni found Eddlied Mandi Jilani, Makonde Ruwa Buni, and Ngira Karisa Charo guilty of the murder that took place on March 8, 2018. The judgment concluded that the prosecution had successfully proven the murder charge beyond reasonable doubt with evidence, including financial transactions linking the accused to the crime.
Justice Micheni stated that the standard of proof was met with all necessary elements of the murder offense being established. She noted that the unlawful killing of Jiraw resulted from a common plan, assigning equal criminal responsibility to each accused individual. Following the conviction, the court revoked bonds for Jilani and Buni, and a warrant of arrest was issued for Charo. Pre-sentencing reports have been ordered, with mitigation and sentencing set for July 30, 2026.
Jilani, a former driver for the Kilifi County Government, was alleged to have received Sh650,000 as facilitation fees to secure the tender for Jiraw for supplying X-ray foils and air conditioners to county hospitals. The tender, however, was awarded to another party, leading the prosecution to argue that Jilani plotted to kill Jiraw.
The court was informed that Jiraw was last seen alive when he was invited to Kilifi to finalize an agreement. His disfigured body was later found in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, with a postmortem revealing strangulation and burning with sulphuric acid.
Witnesses testified that Jiraw had transferred money to Mandi as part of the tender deal, and they had met in Kilifi before his disappearance. During a 2018 hearing, Charo confessed to the murder, claiming he was hired by Mandi, but later retracted his confession, citing coercion by detectives.
The conviction concludes an eight-year trial that drew national attention, involving witnesses from across the country. The prosecution portrayed the case as one of public office abuse, fraud, and the murder of an innocent person over a failed tender arrangement. Prosecution Counsel Ngiri Wangui led the case, with over ten witnesses testifying before the court reached its verdict.
