Naftali Kinuthia, the man accused of killing Moi University medical student Ivy Wangechi has been charged with murder.
He was accused of planning and executing the murder on April 9 in Eldoret.
Kinuthia appeared in Eldoret High Court on Tuesday where he denied the charges.
Senior Eldoret Magistrate Stephen Githinji rejected Ms Wangechi’s family application to have the case transferred to Nairobi.
“The incident happened here in Eldoret and most witnesses are within the same area,” said Justice Githinji.
The court ordered he be remanded until May 9 when his bond application will be heard.
Kinuthia has been in police custody after the prosecution asked for more time to complete investigations, arguing that detectives had limited time when he was hospitalized.
“He was admitted to hospital since the incident and we have not had time for him to complete recording his statement,” the prosecution said
The suspects lawyer Mbiu Kamau also asked for more time so that their client treated for the injuries he sustained after being attacked by a mob.
“He has complained of headache and chest pains and needs to be treated before he can be charged,” Kamau said.
Kinuthia, an employee of betting firm Sport Pesa, shot to limelight after he hacked Ms Wangechi in broad light outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) where the deceased was taking her final year practicals.
The axe and the knife, which he used for the murder, were presented in court as evidence. Four people recorded statements regarding the murder.
Read: Ivy Wangeci’s Killer Quells Speculations, Reveals Why He Hacked Student To Death
In an earlier statement with the police, Kinuthia indicated he killed Ms Wangechi after she failed to reciprocate love.
“The accused said he used to send the woman some money. The girl, according to the suspect, had told him that she was organizing her birthday party, which would happen soon. He said he sent her some money to arrange the event. Since then, the woman refused to pick his calls, said the suspect. That is what prompted him to travel [from Thika] to Eldoret. He said he wanted to know why she was ignoring him,” Eldoret East DCI boss Mr Kingi told a local media outlet.
However, the deceased’s parents affirmed that the accused was not in a relationship with their daughter.
Ms Wangechi was laid to rest at her parent’s rural home in Othaya, Nyeri County.
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