High Court has ruled that former Citizen Tv reporter Jacque Maribe and her former fiancé Joseph Irungu have a case to answer in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.

In her ruling, Justice Grace Nzioka said she was satisfied the evidence tabled by the prosecution was enough to warrant putting Maribe and Irungu alias Jowie on their defence.

The decision against the former celebrity couple was delivered virtually by Justice Nzioka from Naivasha High Court, where she was transferred to in recent changed by the judiciary.

“I am satisfied that the prosecution has adduced evidence requiring to put each of the two accused persons on their defence,” ruled Justice Nzioka on Wednesday.

Lawyer Katwa Kigen, who is representing Maribe in the Monica Kimani murder case, informed the court she will call four witnesses, who will cumulatively testify in four hours.

On his part, lawyer Hassan Nandwa, who is representing Jowie, told the court that he will only one witness, who will testify for two hours, when the defence trial hearings commence.

Prosecution called a total of 44 witnesses in their effort to prove they had a case against the former lovers.

Among prosecution witnesses was Chief Inspector Maxwell Otieno, the chief investigator of the case, who revealed that Monica was killed using a sharp object that was never found.

Monica was murdered at night on September 19, 2018 at Lamuria Gardens Apartment in Kilimani estate, Nairobi County on arriving from Juba, South Sudan, where she worked.

The court has scheduled the defence hearing for May 11 and 12.