As the police escorted him to court in Nakuru to plead to murder charges, Ezekiel Sakwa Mwangi, who had been in custody for a month, walked with a relaxed look on his face.
With cuffs on his hands, the 19-year-old cooperated with the police across the corridors of justice, bizarrely smiling occasionally to whoever glanced at him.
Even when the cameras started flashing towards him, Mr Sakwa’s smile did not vanish.
Inside the courtroom, he would engage his uncle in what appeared to be consultations.
On each charge, the teenager dressed in a black jumper would respond to the court assistant: “ni uongo” (it is a lie). He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A report compiled by the probation department unveiled what detectives say is the true character of the teenager who shocked the country for initially having allegedly confessed to police investigators that he had committed the brutal and callous murders targeting women. He denied the charges in court this week.
But the report filed in court describes Mr Sakwa as “a chronic deceiver who easily manipulates things in his favour.”
EzekielMwangi Sakwa, 19, at the Molo Law Court on August 20, 2024.
Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group
The report revealed that before his arrest in August, Mr Sakwa had reportedly terrorised his parents, breached the government systems and managed to get away with numerous crimes.
The accused, who is the fourth child in the family of five, lives with his mother in Olrongai after she separated with his father in 2004.
He was placed on probation for three years in 2021. One year was to be served at the Kimumu Junior Probation hostel in Eldoret. This was after he stole a gas cylinder belonging to his mother on December 2, 2021.
He, however, escaped from the facility in January 2022 before he was arrested and returned to the facility.
Ten months later in November 2022, a week to his release, he escaped again and the case was reported to the police.
Sakwa was then rescued from being lynched for stealing a phone after the Olrongai Chief and Police from Menengai intervened. He was charged with stealing but the matter was settled out of court after he sought forgiveness from the owner.
He was then returned to the facility where he stayed for a week before he was released after his term expired.
Ezekiel Mwangi Sakwa (centre), 19, is taken to the Molo Law Court on August 20, 2024.
Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group
On December 17, he was escorted to Londiani and handed over to his father. However, the father called the probation officer and reported the son's escape.
After escaping, the accused kept sneaking back to his father’s house when he was at work and stealing his property. When the efforts to trace Mr Sakwa proved futile the Probation officer applied for a warrant of arrest.
In August 2023, Sakwa was spotted at the Rongai sub-county by the probation officer who had inquired about his whereabouts.
“He indicated that he had been employed in the area and wished to go home to get his father’s copy of the ID which the employer wanted for security,” read part of the report.
The said employer gave him Sh3,000 but instead of him going home he travelled to Eldoret regional probation office where he claimed to have been dumped by a stranger and requested to be allowed to stay there for some days.
He, however, fled the venue after he was spotted by and officer from the probation department.
Ezekiel Sakwa Mwangi, 19 is taken to Molo Law Court on August 20, 2024 accused of multiple killings in Rongai, Nakuru.
Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation
Again, on August 16 he was spotted at the home of the supervisor where he claimed to have gone to seek forgiveness.
In the report, the probation officials claimed that all the interventions towards rehabilitating Mr Sakwa had proved futile.
“The office was unable to rehabilitate him due to his flight risk behaviour. Those interviewed indicated that he was homeless and slept on the streets thus needed sympathisers who would house him,” read the report compiled by Francisca Kamande, a probation officer.
Prior to the shocking murders linked to Mr Sakwa, he is said to have escaped from a well-wisher whose family had taken him into their home and enrolled him in school.
He was enrolled in school but he dropped out in Term Two and left the home. It was at his point that the mysterious deaths started being reported.
When he appeared before court on Thursday, the 19-year-old denied four charges relating to the murder of four women in Rongai and Nakuru West sub-counties.
According to the charge sheet, Mr Sakwa killed Ms Alice Ayuma on July 13 at Mwangaza Village in Ol-Rongai location in Rongai and killed Virginia Njeri Mwangi on August 5 at Menengai Prayer Cave in Nakuru West sub-county.
He is alleged to have killed a banker, Ms Florence Mueni Mwalimu, on August 6 at Kalyet Village in Ol-Rongai and Viollah Moraa Mogambi at Baraka Estate in Rongai sub-county.
Nakuru High Court judge Heston Nyaga directed that Mr Sakwa alias Kwame be held at the Nakuru GK Prison until when his bond will be determined.
