Drunkard linked to robbery with violence goes ‘mad’

 Stephen Njoroge Muchoki, 54, was sentenced to death following a robbery incident at a village bar in Murang’a, where he had gone to drink

The family of a man sentenced to death in 2000 is claiming their kinsman has gone mad in prison.

Stephen Njoroge Muchoki, 54, was sentenced to death following a robbery incident at a village bar in Murang’a, where he had gone to drink. It is alleged he left the bar before the robbery took place.

“The father of three was arrested in connection with the robbery and sentenced to three years in jail. Unsatisfied, he appealed,” says David Kamande, Muchoki’s brother, adding that, “He used to drink and cause drama in the bar, (but) that night he left at around 9pm. One hour later, robbers struck armed with machetes. After stealing, they attacked the barmaid as well as the bar owner. Hours later, police came to our home and picked Muchoki who was dead drunk.”

Interestingly, Muchoki claimed that during his time in King’ong’o Maximum Prison, Nyeri and Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi, he met the real culprits who had committed the crime.

“He told me, during one of my visits to the prison, that the men who committed the offence were actually in Kamiti holed up with him, and that they made fun of the fact that he was innocent yet he was languishing in jail with them,” says Kamande.

Muchoki appealed, only to be sentenced to death. “The court had warned that the appeal could not go his way, but he had made up his mind. He would later appeal the sentence, and a bench of three judges reduced it to life sentence,” recalls Kamande.

This, according to the relatives, disturbed Muchoki who was later transferred to Mathari Hospital Prison.

“He is not sick, it is just that he knows he is innocent. We hope the truth will come out or that he will get a presidential pardon,” said Muchoki’s daughter.