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Six people  found guilty of the murder of former Juja MP George Thuo were yesterday sentenced to fifteen years in prison each.

Justice Roselyn Korir said the sentence would run from April 19 this year when she convicted them.

The judge took into consideration the victim impact statement and mitigation by the convicts who maintained their innocence.

The judge also considered the pre-sentencing report which outlined positive attributes regarding the convicts, with a recommendation that they be given a three-year sentence.

Desire to reconcile

Korir also said she found credibility in the desire of both Paul Wainaina and Christopher Lumbazio to reconcile with Thuo’s family. “All these were positive attributes that reduced the severity of the sentence. They don’t deserve the maximum sentence as prayed for by the state,” said the Judge.

The court while sentencing them further factored in the period in which they spent in pre-trial custody and the two months’ post-conviction custody.

Korir on April 19 convicted Club owner Paul Wainaina Boiyo alias Sheki, Thuo’s aide Christopher Lumbazio Andika alias Lumba, DJs Andrew Karanja Wainaina and Samuel Kuria Ngugi alias Visi, Esther Ndinda Mulinge, a waitress, and a patron Ruth Watahi Irungu alias Atlanta over the murder that took place at Porkies Club nine years ago.

She said the prosecution proved its case against the six adding that the evidence adduced was sufficient and not based on suspicion.

She agreed with doctors’ reports who found that Thuo’s cause of death was haemorrhagic gastroenteritis due to poisoning.

The poison was identified as Cyhalothrine pesticide which the Judge said led to death in five to ten minutes once ingested into the body.

The poison was traced in his liver, kidney and shirt he was wearing on the material day.

Poison laced

“I find the forensic evidence clearly shows Thuo consumed a poison laced drink at Porkies Club,” said the Judge.

Thuo’s cause of death was strongly contested during the trial.

The prosecution’s theory was that he was poisoned but the convicts argued that he could have died because of other underlying conditions.

These conditions, they said, were high blood pressure and the amount of alcohol he had taken that night.

But trial Judge Rosley Korir dismissed their defence saying no evidence had been adduced to substantiate their theory.

She agreed with the prosecution that indeed Thuo was poisoned after they called in pathologists and produced toxicology reports.