DENNIS ITUMBI DISMISSES FALSE REPORTS OF JOWIE IRUNGU’S RELEASE 

Social media platforms were abuzz on Tuesday, May 28, 2025, with unverified claims about the early release of Joseph “Jowie” Irungu, the convicted murderer of businesswoman Monicah Kimani. 

The speculation originated from a May 23 gazette notice listing 57 prisoners pardoned by President William Ruto under the Power of Mercy Act, which included a Joseph Irungu Maina among the beneficiaries.

Dennis Itumbi, Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects in the Executive Office of the President, promptly dismissed these rumours as unfounded. The conflicting reports generated polarised reactions online, with some social media users accepting the news at face value while others remained skeptical.

Upon verification it emerged the pardoned prisoner was listed as Joseph Irungu Maina (Inmate No. 22), while Kimani’s murderer is officially named Joseph Irungu Kuria. The released inmate was convicted in 2015, whereas Jowie received his death sentence for Kimani’s murder on March 13, 2024.

The 2018 murder case that led to Jowie’s conviction involved particularly gruesome details. Kimani was found with her throat slit in her Lamuria Gardens Apartment bathtub on September 19, 2018. 

The Power of Mercy Act (2011), which implements Article 133 of Kenya’s Constitution, establishes clear procedures for presidential pardons. However, the recent prisoner release list clearly doesn’t include Kimani’s killer, confirming the social media reports as mistaken.