Court finds Naftali Kinuthia guilty of murdering Ivy Wangeci
Things turned sour between the two after Ivy Wangeci allegedly rebuffed Naftali Kinuthia's advances.
A man who hacked his girlfriend to death outside Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret in 2019 has been convicted of murder.
The Eldoret High Court found Naftali Kinuthia, 33, guilty of murdering Ivy Wangeci, a medical student at Moi University, four years ago.
Kinuthia, an IT expert, was found guilty on October 26 by Justice Reuben Githinji.
In a virtual session from Malindi High Court, where Justice Githinji has been transferred, and Eldoret main prison, Justice Githinji ruled that the prosecution had proved the offence of murder beyond reasonable doubt and the accused was convicted.
“The prosecution has proven the case of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and I will decide on his fate on November 22 after hearing his mitigation,” ruled Justice Githinji.
In his ruling, Justice Githinji poked holes in Kinuthia's defence.
Kinuthia had told the court that he was provoked after the deceased, with whom he was romantically involved, ended their relationship and eloped with another man.
“After finding the accused guilty, this court will give him a chance to mitigate before deciding the sentence in relation to the murder,” ruled the judge.
Wangeci, 25, was a final-year medical student when he was hacked to death on April 9, 2019, in an incident that shocked the nation.
In his defence, Kinuthia, a computer science graduate from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), confessed to hacking his girlfriend to death in broad daylight, describing the act as "an act of provocation".
Childhood friend
He admitted to killing his girlfriend with an axe because he was overwhelmed with rage, fearing that his childhood friend had betrayed him.
Kinuthia told the packed court how he financially supported his slain lover while he was at school. He said he also paid for her birthday parties.
On the fateful day, he told the court that he had travelled from Thika, where he worked, to Eldoret to surprise his longtime partner on her birthday.
In a strange twist of events, things turned sour between the two after the victim allegedly rebuffed his advances, prompting him to hack her to death
"On that fateful morning, I walked for a few yards and when I turned around, I saw my lover hugging another man. I can't even tell you the moment I decided to take the axe from my car, which I had packed near the MTRH emergency room. I was not myself," Mr Kinuthia said.
He had told the court that he was remorseful for the incident, even as he accused his long-time lover of spending a lot of his money, knowing full well that she was no longer interested in their romantic relationship.
"I regret the death of Ivy because she was innocent. There are so many ways we could have resolved our differences instead of killing her," said Kinuthia.
The prosecution closed its case in June 2022, with the State presenting more than 10 witnesses, including the slain medical student's mother and two uncles.
Kinuthia denied the murder charge when he appeared in court in Eldoret to enter a plea.
He has been detained at Eldoret GK remand prison since his arrest.
