A former United Nations employee has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his wife during a night out at a Nakuru hotel, with the High Court ruling that the murder was premeditated.
Nicholas Cheruiyot Koskei was convicted of murdering Rhoda Mumbi Mutua on the night of July 8, 2017, at Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
Koskei strangled the deceased in a bathroom and left the room, claiming he was going for a jog and to order food.
Justice Richard Mwongo who issued the sentence at the High Court in Naivasha said the killing was calculated.
“The accused person attempted to conceal the offence after committing it. In an ideal setting, the death penalty is applicable in a case like this.
However, given the fact that the accused person is the only surviving parent to two young boys, it is appropriate to impose a definite custodial sentence, which will also serve as deterrent,” said Justice Mwongo.
Evidence showed Koskei tried to cover up the crime by claiming that his wife was a drug addict and had died during a quarrel. He also attempted to influence a pathologist to alter the post-mortem report.
Justice Mwongo said the couple’s 12 year marriage had become strained and Ms Mutua had confided in a friend about fears and infidelity.
“Koskei and Ms Mutua’s children do need their father but he must face consequences for his actions,” the judge added.
The couple had met while working at the UN offices in Nairobi and Koskei said in court that he had supported Ms Mutua’s education.
Prosecution witnesses told the court that Koskei booked a room with a bathtub three days before the trip, specifically noting that his wife liked bathtubs. On arrival, the couple took selfies which Koskei posted in a family WhatsApp group.
In a pre-sentence report, Ms Mutua’s family supported the prosecution’s push for the death penalty arguing that it remained a lawful punishment.
They said Koskei had alienated them, including preventing them from attending his mother’s burial which they eventually eappeared forcefully and he had shown no remorse.
Ms Mutua’s sister Jessica Kagwiria filed a victim impact statement describing Koskei as cruel and remorseless.
The family said they were ready to take full legal responsibility for the children whom they had cared for during the eight-year trial. Koskei pleaded for leniency maintaining his innocence saying he had already been condemned in the public eye.
He told the court he misses his wife and would like to raise his children. Despite the murder conviction, Koskei said he was still a good father and wished to be part of his sons’ lives. The court heard that the children had been under the custody of their maternal aunt and grandfather throughout the proceedings.
The victim’s family reported emotional, financial and psychological suffering from the case.
A probation officer’s report stated that a local administrator in Trans-Nzoia County, where Koskei is from, described him as a supportive community member and recommended a non-custodial sentence.
His neighbours in Nairobi described him as calm, respectful and active in community tasks including a local church and children’s football club.
But the prosecution argued that the offence went beyond domestic violence and amounted to femicide, an issue of national concern.
“The prosecution said the sentence must reflect the gravity of the offence as Ms Mutua’s life was taken by someone she trusted and her children left motherless.
It pointed out that Koskei had orchestrated the hotel trip with the intention of killing his wife. The room with a bathtub was part of the plan, the court was told.
“Having completed the job, he then left the room and shut the door, on the pretext that he was going for a jog and to order some food. After being out for a while, he notified the reception that his wife was not answering the phone and that the door to the room was locked. With the help of hotel staff, he returned to the room to find his wife dead,” narrated the case prosecutor.
The prosecution called 17 witnesses to prove its case while Koskei testified in his defense and called one witness.
