The widow of the late George Muchai can finally take solace in the saying that justice delayed is not always justice denied, following a landmark ruling in a case that has spanned nearly a decade.
On April 9, 2026, Lucas Onyina, Chief Magistrate at the Milimani Law Courts, sentenced four men to death for the robbery with violence that led to Muchai’s murder. Delivering the sentence privately in his chambers, Onyina ruled that despite the prosecution not proving repeat offending, the brutality of the crime warranted the maximum penalty under the law.
“The law under which you were charged provides for a death sentence. I hereby order that you suffer death as prescribed by law,” Onyina declared.
The four convicts Erick Munyera, Raphael Kimani, Mustafa Kimani, and Stephen Asitiva were found guilty of carrying out the crime with extreme hostility, brutality, and impunity. They were also convicted on additional charges including illegal possession of firearms and handling stolen property.
Meanwhile, two female accomplices, Jane Wanjiru and Margaret Njeri, received 10-year prison sentences for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. However, the court ruled that their sentences would run from the date of their arrest in 2015, meaning they had effectively completed their terms by the time of sentencing.
Defense lawyer Danstan Omari, representing Raphael Kimani, criticized the ruling, arguing that the court failed to properly consider mitigating factors. He indicated plans to appeal the decision at the High Court.
Muchai was gunned down in the early hours of February 7, 2015, near Nairobi GPO, at the intersection of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway in Nairobi. He was returning from a family dinner when his car was rammed by another vehicle. Armed assailants emerged and fatally shot him alongside his two bodyguards and driver, before stealing a briefcase and two pistols.
The case saw seven suspects charged in 2015, with proceedings stretching over nearly ten years and involving testimony from 37 witnesses. In September 2025, the High Court ruled that four suspects had a case to answer, while three were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
On March 13, 2026, all seven accused were convicted of robbery with violence leading to the deaths. The sentencing delivered on April 9 marks the conclusion of one of Kenya’s longest-running and most closely followed criminal trials.
