Six people convicted in the murder of former Juja MP George Thuo have been granted a Sh1 million bond each as they await the outcome of their appeal.

The group, which includes the owner of Porkies Club in Thika, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2024 for their role in Thuo’s death, which occurred in November 2013. Thuo died after being poisoned while drinking at Porkies Club.

Those released on bond include Paul Wainaina Boiyo, also known as Sheki, former aide to the late MP Christopher Lumbazio Andika alias Lumba, DJs Andrew Karanja Wainaina and Samuel Kuria Ngugi alias Visi, waiter Esther Ndinda Mulinge, and a patron, Ruth Watahi Irungu alias Atlanta.

Justice Roselyn Korir had sentenced the six to 15 years in jail, with the term set to run from April 19, 2024, when the conviction was delivered. The convicts later moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge the sentence and sought to be released on bond as the appeal proceeds.

In their ruling, Justices Jamila Mohamed, Francis Tuiyot, and Pauline Nyamweya found that while four of the applicants had indeed shared a table with the late MP, there was no direct evidence that any of them spiked his drink with poison.

The judges also noted there was no proof that the six had conspired beforehand or during the incident to murder Thuo.

“For these reasons, this Court is inclined to allow the applications as prayed. The upshot is that the applications dated are hereby allowed as prayed. Each applicant shall be released on a bond of Ksh1,000,000 with one surety of like amount,” the bench ruled.

During sentencing last year, Justice Korir had considered a pre-sentencing report which highlighted positive attributes about the convicts, including a recommendation for a lighter three-year term.

The judge also acknowledged efforts by Boiyo and Andika to reconcile with Thuo’s family, stating that these were “positive attributes that reduced the severity of the sentence.”

However, Justice Korir maintained that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to convict the six. She ruled that the cause of Thuo’s death was hemorrhagic gastroenteritis due to poisoning, based on forensic findings.

“Forensic evidence clearly shows that Thuo consumed a poisoned drink at Porkies Club,” she said.

Toxicology reports showed that the late MP had ingested a pesticide known as Cyhalothrin, which can cause death within five to ten minutes.

The court dismissed the defence argument that Thuo may have died from other medical conditions such as high blood pressure or excessive alcohol use, citing the pathologist’s findings that directly linked the poisoning to his death.