Sharpened spoon murder: Naivasha inmate died from stab wound to chest, court hears

Suspect Victor Ochieng' appearing via video-link before Justice Teresia Matheka, May 19, 2021. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

A former Naivasha Maximum Prison inmate died after being stabbed in the chest, the High Court in Nakuru heard yesterday.

Dr Titus Ngulungu, a pathologist at Rift Valley Provision General Hospital, said Harun Karanja, 20, was stabbed on the left side of his chest.

Ngulungu testified on Tuesday when he appeared virtually before High Court judge Teresia Matheka.

He said he conducted a postmortem on October 12, 2017.

“The inmate died as a result of the compression of the heart caused by sharp trauma to the heart,” testified Ngulungu.

A forensic expert who testified said the sharpened spoon used to stab Karanja neither had blood stains nor DNA of the suspect.

Victor Ochieng alias Ochipoo is charged with killing Karanja on October 4, 2017.

A sharpened spoon allegedly used to stab Harun Karanja in October 2017. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Ochieng is said to have sharpened a tablespoon that he used to kill Karanja after they differed over "a business deal".

Five inmates listed as witnesses in the case refused to testify.

Ochieng is currently serving life imprisonment at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.

As he was escaping the scene, Ochieng’ allegedly bumped into another inmate, Douglas Maina, whom he stabbed twice using the same object.

He, however, surrendered himself to guards manning the gate and also handed over the weapon he used to stab his fellow inmates.

Karanja who was found lying in a pool of his own blood at the gate, five metres from the duty office, was taken to hospital for treatment where he was pronounced dead.

The hearing will continue on March 29.