A man and his daughter accused of robbing and killing a Nanyuki businessman will undergo mental assessments to determine their fitness to stand trial, the High Court in Nyeri has ordered.
Justice Teresia Matheka Friday directed that Mr Charles Macharia and his daughter Jane Wanjiku be examined their mental status at Nyeri Level Five Hospital.
She also directed the officer-in-charge of Nyeri King’ong’o GK Prison, where the two suspects will be detained, to ensure they are taken to hospital for medical attention after they complained that they were assaulted by police upon arrest.
The judge further ordered that the two suspects be produced in court on January 9 to take plea.
They suspects were arrested last month over the brutal murder of businessman George Gachibi.
They were arraigned in Nyeri because the Nanyuki judge, Hatari Waweru, is on Christmas vacation.
Justice Matheka rejected the suspects’ application to have the case file transferred from Nanyuki to Nyeri or Meru for trial.
They cited their personal safety saying they felt threatened to be prosecuted in Nanyuki, where the alleged murder incident happened.
But Justice Matheka told them to make the application before the trial court in Nanyuki when the area judge resumes duty.
The suspects were arrested by DCI detectives at a petrol station in Kirwara, Murang’a County on December 5.
They were found with the victim’s Subaru Legacy car and electronics stolen from him. Mr Gachibi was the proprietor of Checkers Bar and Restaurant in Nanyuki town.