Man found guilty in student’s murder
The High Court yesterday convicted Naftali Kinuthia, 33, over the brutal murder of Moi University medical student three years ago.
While delivering his ruling virtually in his new work station in Malindi, Justice Stephen Githinji said the prosecution had adduced sufficient evidence to prove Kinuthia murdered Ivy Wangechi, then aged 25, on April 9, 2019.
The judge, however, stated that he will give the accused a chance to mitigate before the sentence was delivered on November 22.
Justice Githinji said the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the accused murdered the medical student on the fateful day outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
“The prosecution has proven the case of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubts and I will decide on his fate on November 22 after hearing his mitigation,” ruled Justice Githinji.
Hacked to death
In his defence, Kinuthia, a computer science graduate of Jomo Kenyatta University confessed how he hacked his girlfriend to death in broad daylight, accusing the deceased of provoking his actions.
He admitted to killing his girlfriend with an axe for what he called being overwhelmed by anger in fear his childhood friend had betrayed him.
Kinuthia narrated to the packed court how he used to support his slain lover with upkeep while at the university and even financing her birthday parties.
On the fateful day in April 2019, Kinuthia told the court he travelled from Thika where he was working to Eldoret for what would have been a surprise visit to her longtime partner on her birthday.
Long time lover
In a strange twist of event, things turned sour between the two after the victim allegedly turned down his advances, prompting him to hack her to death.
“On the fateful day in the morning, I left for a few metres and on turning back, I saw my lover hugging another man, I cannot even tell the moment that I decided to pick the axe from my car that I had packed near the Emergency department of MTRH. I was not myself,” recounted Kinuthia.
He told the judge that he was remorseful over the incident even as he accused his longtime lover of minting a lot of money from him knowing very well that she was no longer interested in their romantic relationship.
“I regret the death of Ivy as she was innocent. There are so many ways we could have resolved our differences instead of killing her,” said Kinuthia.
The court was further told how the accused threatened the deceased through text messages about a month before she met her death in his hands.
A close friend of the slain student coded MC in his testimony before Justice Githinji said that Kinuthia was nagging her friend and tried wooing her by buying her gifts and spending money on her. According to MC, the accused wanted a relationship but Wangeci was not interested in a romantic relationship with him.
The witness stated that it reached a point where Kinuthia wanted compensation of all the money he had spent on Wangechi after she refused to yield to his demands. She told the court that Kinuthia had claimed that he had spent around Sh200,000 on Wangeci and that he wanted a refund..
“Kinuthia started sending threatening messages to me saying he had spent time on Ivy and he was going to do something stupid in revenge and that it could end in death. He said that no coin of his would go to waste,” she testified.
The witness told the court that Wangeci informed her that Kinuthia had showed up at the hostel and asked her to get into his car so they could talk, but she turned down the offer due to fear for her life.
She (deceased) instead rushed to her hostel and did not get back to him as requested. The witness further dispelled allegations that Wangeci was in relationship with the key suspect saying that the two were only childhood friends and had no other relationship.
“To the best of my knowledge the two were only friends and were never in a romantic relationship as claimed by the accused,” said MC.
The prosecution closed its case in June 2022 with the State presenting more than 10 witnesses among them the mother and two uncles of the slain medical student. He has been remanded at the Eldoret GK remand prison since his arrest.