A farmhand employed by Bishop Pius Muiru’s mother has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her murder, which took place in 2017 at her home. Justice Kanyi Kimondo handed down the sentence to Ezekiel Saitabu Nakola for the murder of 73-year-old Grace Wangari Mwangi.
Nakola was found guilty of the crime, which occurred on March 20, 2017, at Karega Sub-Location in Kigumo Sub-County, Murang’a County. In his ruling, Justice Kimondo described Nakola’s actions as heinous, emphasizing the psychological trauma inflicted on the victim’s family as he attempted to conceal her body.
The court acknowledged the lasting impact of the crime on Wangari’s family, noting that they have yet to heal from the tragedy, thus justifying a custodial sentence.
Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Kimondo determined that the prosecution, represented by Ann Penny Gakumu and Caroline Muriu, had successfully proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt through the testimonies of twelve witnesses.
Nakola had worked for the late Mwangi for a decade. On the day of the incident, it was alleged that he strangled her and buried her body behind the cowshed, where a cow carcass had been buried just days before. He covered her remains with sand and banana stems to hide the crime.
In an attempt to cover his tracks, Nakola continued to steal from her MPESA account and took household items to his girlfriend’s house in Karega, Murang’a County.
Justice Kimondo ruled that all elements of murder were established beyond a reasonable doubt. While there were no eyewitnesses or an admissible confession, the circumstantial evidence presented created a compelling chain linking Nakola to the crime.
