The High Court has sentenced Sarah Namono to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the killing of her co-wife, Grace Kibone.
Namono entered into a plea agreement on October 1, 2025, reducing the original murder charge to manslaughter. At the time of the agreement, two prosecution witnesses had already testified. The court noted that until the plea bargain was recorded, the accused enjoyed the presumption of innocence and that the conviction was based solely on the admitted facts.
According to court records, the fatal altercation stemmed from a domestic dispute on September 22, 2022, at their husband’s business premises along Juja Road in Nairobi. The disagreement escalated after the deceased allegedly poured out Namono’s chicken stew into a nearby trench, triggering a fight that was later broken up.
Additionally, the court heard that Namono had concealed a knife in her clothing during the confrontation and left the scene warning the deceased that it would be the last time she saw their husband.
The following night at around 9:30 p.m., Namono returned to the premises and stabbed Kibone multiple times. Even after the deceased fell, the court heard that Namono continued stabbing her in the neck and face, pushed her into a trench, and hurled stones at her as she tried to flee. She also allegedly threatened a bystander who attempted to intervene.
Kibone was rushed to hospital but succumbed to her injuries. A post-mortem conducted by Dr. Grace Midigo determined that the cause of death was massive haemorrhage resulting from an incisive wound to the internal jugular vein on the left side of the neck.
In mitigation, Namono, described as a first offender aged 33, expressed remorse and told the court that the deceased had been her friend. She said the incident occurred during a fight and asked for leniency, noting that their children now require her care.
However, a pre-sentence report filed by a Nairobi probation officer did not recommend a non-custodial sentence. The victim impact statement presented in court indicated that Kibone, a 32-year-old Ugandan national, was the primary breadwinner for her family. Her three minor children are currently living with their maternal grandmother in Mbale, Uganda.
The court observed that the use of a concealed knife and the repeated stabbing, even as the deceased attempted to escape, constituted significant aggravating factors. It found that the level of force used negated claims of lack of intent.
While acknowledging Namono’s remorse and status as a first offender, the court ruled that the gravity of the offence warranted a substantial custodial term. She was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with the sentence backdated to September 23, 2022, when she was first arrested, in accordance with Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court further ordered that upon completion of her sentence, Namono, who is undocumented, be deported to Uganda.
She has been granted 14 days to appeal the sentence at the Court of Appeal
