Suspect in Rahab Karisa’s murder arraigned in court

The suspect in the murder of Kilifi county chief officer for fisheries and blue economy Rahab Karisa has been arraigned in a Kilifi court.

Diana Naliaka appeared before Kilifi senior principal magistrate Justus Kituku.

The police filed for a miscellaneous application to detain the suspect for 14 days to complete investigations.

No charges were read to the suspect.

In a sworn affidavit by constable Harrisson Mayaka, the police requested to detain her to take DNA samples, carry out a psychiatric examination, a forensic analysis of the evidence and establish the suspect’s legal identity.

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Police said she is a flight risk and want her detained as she has no known place of residence.

They also argued that the fact that she was arrested in Busia, some 800Kms from the scene of crime is reason enough she should be detained

She was arrested on July 25, in Busia while she was attempting to cross to Uganda.

When asked if she understood the application by the prosecution, Naliaka admitted to have killed Rahab but it was inadvertently.

“I have something to say. We had a misunderstanding after I asked her for my money. She had just returned from outside the country. I killed her but I did not intend to,” she said.

“Let us not go to the details of what happened. I just wanted to know if you understood the request by the prosecution (on detention),” Kituku said.

The case will be mentioned on August 17.

According to court documents, on Tuesday evening, the suspect quarreled with the deceased over the money she (the victim) had left in her bedroom.

“The deceased suffered a painful death after being inflicted with a deep stab wound on the upper left side of her back with a sharp object leading her to lose a lot of blood,” the police report said.

“In the wee hours of Wednesday, July 20, the respondent allegedly after performing the act [stabbing] warned one of the witnesses she would suffer the same fate as the deceased if she dared raise an alarm,” it said

Rahab was found dead on the morning of Wednesday, July 20, in her Mnarani apartment in Kilifi. Her body was on the floor beside her bed.

The knife suspected to have been used for the murder was found beside her.

Rahab will be buried on Saturday in Vihiga county.