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The wife of an Eldoret newspaper vendor Geoffrey Matenje, who was killed in cold blood six years ago, was yesterday found guilty of involvement in the murder.

Melisa Muhinda, 29, the mother of two children was found guilty of murder alongside a motorcycle rider Ekitu Amatuka in the heinous incident which occurred in 2018 at Kamukunji estate on the outskirts of Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county.

While delivering his judgement, Justice Reuben Nyakundi said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt the two suspects were directly involved in the murder of Matenje who operated outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

 “There is no doubt that you were both directly involved in the gruesome murder of the newspaper vendor going by the overwhelming evidence from the prosecution witnesses and even the mobile phone you were using places you at the scene of crime,” stated Justice Nyakundi.

The Judge further faulted the Amatuka, the second suspect for bringing his mother in court to testify in his favour during the trial only for her to give false evidence in her spirited efforts to save her son from being imprisoned over the murder.

Found evidence

Matenje aged 35 met his gruesome death in his house on fateful night of October 6, 2018 under circumstances that raised questions among neighbours, friends and relatives.

The deceased’s wife and motorcycle rider were arrested and charged with the murder after detectives attached to the directorate of criminal investigations department in Eldoret found evidence implicating them.

It was further established that the newspaper vendor’s wife conspired with the motorcycle rider to kill her estranged husband.

Matenje was hacked severally on the head, neck, and legs before his body was dismembered and stashed in a gunny sack.

The first suspect with the help of co-suspect are said to have loaded the mutilated body parts onto a motorcycle.

During the hearing, the court was told how the motorcycle was intercepted by neighbours less than 500 metres from the deceased’s house while being transported to an unknown destination for dumping.

Nelson Wasamba, one of the state witnesses, said that he heard dogs barking in the neighbourhood while the suspect was wailing.

Internal bleeding

“The deceased started wailing and complaining that her husband had been killed. We rushed to her house and demanded to be shown the body but we couldn’t see it in the house. That is when we discovered that the body was lying on the road near the house,” averred Wasamba.

A post-mortem that was conducted on the body of the deceased, revealing that he died of severe internal bleeding caused by a heart injury. The report further indicated that he had multiple injuries to his abdomen.

Justice Nyakundi directed the suspects be remanded at the Eldoret GK remand prison until the sentencing date which had been set for June 3, 2024.