court judgment
The High Court in Murang’a has sentenced Ezekiel Saitabu Nakola to 20 years imprisonment for the offense of murder of Bishop Pius Muiru’s mother Grace Wangari Mwangi.
In a statement, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the offense was committed on 20th March 2017 at Karega Sub-Location, Kigumo Location, Kigumo Sub-County within Murang’a County.
“In delivering the sentence, Justice Kanyi Kimondo noted that the accused had committed the heinous crime and attempted to conceal the body, causing psychological trauma to the family. The court reviewed the victim’s family’s perspective and determined that this action is one from which they are yet to heal, and thus a custodial sentence was appropriate,” read the statement in part.
Justice Kimondo had earlier found that the evidence presented by the prosecution through AnnPenny Gakumu and Caroline Muriu proved the case beyond reasonable doubt through the evidence from twelve witnesses.
The court heard that the accused had been employed by Grace Wangari Mwangi, mother to Bishop Muiru, as her farmhand, a position he held for 10 years.
According to ODPP, the suspect on the fateful day strangled the deceased and buried her behind the cowshed, where the carcass of a cow had been buried a few days earlier.
“The top was covered with a heap of sand and banana stems. In an attempt to cover up, he continued to steal from her MPESA account and household items from his girlfriend’s house in Karega, Murang’a County,” ODPP added.
The court also found that the elements of the murder had been proven beyond reasonable doubt and that, although there were no eyewitnesses or an admissible confession, the circumstances of the case provided a complete chain of evidence pointing to the guilt of the accused.
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