Kenyan TV anchor cleared of murder gets top government job

A TV anchor who was acquitted of murder has now been hired for a senior job in the Kenyan government, to the astonishment of some in the country.

Jacque Maribe was cleared of murdering a businesswoman called Monica Kimani, who was found with her throat slit. But Ms. Maribe's ex-partner Joseph Irungu, also known as "Jowie", was found guilty.

Giving the verdict last month, the judge said Ms Maribe should instead be prosecuted for giving the police false information.

However, she has since been appointed as head of communications for Kenya's Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, prompting criticism.

"As a Kenyan who likes fairness, I must ask if the position was vacant all along or if someone was occupying it in acting capacity or if someone has been fired to bring her in," lawyer Wahome Thuku asked on X (formerly Twitter).

"That Maribe story is a clear indication that the government has jobs, just not for you," another commenter said.

But Public Service Minister Moses Kuria told the Private Nation website that this new job was "the right thing" for Ms Maribe. "This is a country of justice, equal opportunities, and one that will lend you a hand to rise from your ruins," he said.

Ms. Maribe - who had spent six years on trial - told the same publication that "the truth, which always sets us all free, has worked - and I thank God for everything".