Woman gets six years in prison for murder of son

Alice Njoki Mugwe at the Milimani law courts Wednesday where she was sentenced to six years in prison for killing her son, Peter Mugo, on July 29, 2009 at Nyambari trading centre in Kiambu County. [PHOTO: EVANS HABIL/STANDARD]

By WILFRED AYAGA

Kiambu, Kenya: A 27-year-old woman who killed her son and dumped his body in a pit latrine will spend six years in prison, the High Court ruled Wednesday.

Justice Nicholas Ombija handed Alice Njoki the sentence after finding her guilty of killing five-year-old Peter Mugure at Nyambari Trading Centre in Kiambu on the night of June 25 and 26, 2009.

The court agreed with the prosecution evidence that on the material day, Njoki killed her son to save her collapsing marriage. According to evidence presented in court, Njoki had hidden the existence of the child from her husband, who, however, came to learn about him a year after their marriage.

Justice Ombija said the prosecution had demonstrated that the desire to save her collapsing marriage was the motive of the murder.

“Having looked at the evidence, I agree that the accused was hiding the child from her husband. The discovery of the child caused friction with her husband. To stabilise the marriage, she killed the child,” the judge said.

Deaf and dumb

The disappearance of Mugure, who was also deaf and dumb, outraged villagers who demanded to know from his mother what had happened to him.

They then forced her to reveal the child’s whereabouts. Her confession subsequently led to the discovery of Mugure’s body by the police.

On the material day, Njoki’s husband, David Njoroge Waweru, had left for church when he arrived and found his wife missing. She arrived a few hours later and started packing her clothes without offering any explanation.

“Despite my protests she continued packing her belongings. The mob at the gate, however, stopped her and demanded to know what had happened to the child. She threatened to commit suicide but the angry mob descended on her with kicks and blows,” her husband told the court.

During the confrontation, Njoki was hit with a blunt object, breaking her leg. A doctor’s report which the accused presented to the court during the defence hearing showed that she had suffered serious injuries following the mob justice. She was admitted to Kiambu District Hospital.

During the case, the prosecution called seven witnesses, including Njoki’s mother, Mary Wangari.

In her evidence, she told the court how she had stayed with Njoki and her child for three years before Njoki got married.

On the material day, she grew suspicious after hearing that the child’s body had been found in a pit latrine.

“I informed the police on the strained relationship between my daughter and her husband,” she told the court.  According to the prosecution, it is this information that helped police piece together Njoki’s motive.

The judge disagreed with Njoki’s evidence. “The facts are inconsistent with the innocence of the accused and incapable of providing any other explanation other than guilt,” the judge said.