The Meru High Court has postponed to March 2020 the defence hearing in a case in which four people are accused of killing a chief in Marsabit.
This is after one of the lawyers fell sick.
Lawyer Joel Mutuma told Justice Francis Gikonyo that his colleague, Mr Kiprotich Kiget, was indisposed and could not attend the hearing.
Consequently, Justice Gikonyo pushed the matter to March 2 and 4 when former Marsabit councillor Doyo Galgalo, Mr Galma Galgalo, Ms Bokaya Dida and Mr Somo Huqa are expected to give their sworn evidence.
The prosecution had demanded that Mr Mutuma gives proof that Mr Kiget was actually unwell, saying they feared it could be a case of delaying tactics.
The four are accused of killing Dirib Kombo Chief Bida Gogana on December 16, 2018 in Gar-qarsa, Marsabit Central.
In his ruling in October, Justice Gikonyo said that the evidence presented by the prosecution led by State Counsel Evelyn Onunga was overwhelming.
Mr Kiget and Mr Anyegah Ondieki had earlier indicated that their clients would give sworn evidence when the matter comes up for defence hearing.
The defence said that Mr Doyo and Mr Galma intend to bring three witnesses each, Ms Dida will line up six, while Mr Huqa has one.
The four have been released on a Sh1 million cash bail each.
The defence had also requested the court to visit the murder scene.
But Justice Gikonyo said he would first hear the evidence and then evaluate if they will require to visit the scene where the chief is said to have been hacked to death.
The prosecution claimed that the chief’s body had then doused in petrol and set on fire. He had attended the burial of a police reservist said to have been a member of a rival community.
At least eight witnesses testified in camera while another, Mr Abdullahi Jillo, a police officer based in Marsabit, tabled 33 gory photos of the slain chief’s body as it lay in a ditch.
The prosecution had successfully applied to have the witnesses heard in camera after they claimed they would be harmed by the suspects since they were influential members of the society.
In February, the four suspects were dramatically re-arrested moments after the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi against them.
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