Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has been shut out of the murder case facing a Kenya Defence Forces captain who is accused of killing his wife, Ann Mugweru.

📋 Breaking It Down

Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has been shut out of the murder case facing a Kenya Defence Forces captain after the High Court ruled that his good intentions towards the victim’s child did not give him a legal right to take part in the trial.

At the same time, the court rejected a separate attempt by the deceased woman’s sister to have the accused undergo a fresh mental assessment by private psychiatrists, saying victims cannot use the court process to conduct parallel investigations against an accused person.

The two decisions, delivered by Justice Joseph Sergon in Nakuru on Tuesday, September 1, have narrowed the role of those seeking to participate in the case against Captain Edwin Muthomi Kaunga, who is accused of killing his wife, Ann Mugweru.

📌 What You Need to Know

Mr Kaunga, a KDF captain, is accused of killing Mugweru on April 14, 2026, at St Mary’s Estate in Nakuru East.

The murder case has not proceeded to plea after prosecutors informed the court that a mental assessment had found him unfit to plead.

Sonko had sought to remain involved in the proceedings, saying he had supported the deceased’s minor child and had developed a close bond with the child following her mother’s death.

But Justice Sergon ruled that compassion and philanthropy were not enough to give him a place in a criminal trial.

“The Interested Party(Sonko) has demonstrated compassion and philanthropy,” the judge said.

He added: "This court cannot broaden or expand the definition of a ‘victim’ beyond what is given under the Victim Protection Act. To do that would open floodgates of unimaginable proportion that would clog the criminal justice system.”

📰 Source: Nation Africa