It's death sentences for two fathers who killed daughters

Nairobi, Kenya: They are angels, innocent precious gifts of God that nobody would wish to harm.

But in recent times, children from different parts of the world have been subjected to unimaginable cruelty, by their parents; the people who brought them to the world.

From cruel fathers who defile their daughters sometimes in the presence of the babies’ mothers, to cold-hearted parents who gruesomely murder their children, the serenity of the world of children has been turned on its head.

Last month, memories of two gruesome murders in different parts of the country were evoked, as a Nairobi Court condemned two men to the hangman’s noose for the murder of their children.

In one of the bizarre incidents that got tongues wagging, one of the sentenced men had killed his four-year-old daughter claiming that she was a ghost.

In the barbaric incident that happened on April 22, 2009 at Kiang’ombe village in Embakasi, Nairobi County, 30-year-old Peter Kinyua strangled his daughter before dumping the body in a pit latrine claiming she was a “jini”.

Sadly, Kinyua committed the heinous act before the eyes of his wife; the girl’s mother.

Monica Wanjiku, recounts how she unsuccessfully attempted to rescue the child from the father who had grabbed the little one’s neck and pulled her braided hair before strangling her to death.

“I screamed for help but neighbours did not make it in time to rescue my baby,” Wanjiku recounts.

Sadly, shortly after Nairobi High Court Judge Nicholas Ombija condemned Kinyua to death; and even before shock and grief had dissipated inside the courtroom - another murder suspect was in the dock also awaiting judgement, for killing his daughter.

Slender, tall and covering his head with a white turban – evidence of his Akorino faith –James Irungu, 63, was in the dock for defiling and killing his 15-year-old daughter.

There was no escape for Irungu, who defiled and killed Marion Waithera Irungu on September14, 2009.

Irungu had earlier that day gone to church before committing the barbaric act at 9pm.

And after he had strangled the life out of the innocent girl, Irungu rushed to neighbours and later the chief claiming that his daughter had just collapsed and died — but a medical report proved him wrong.

“The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and I sentence the accused to suffer death in the manner prescribed under the law,” ruled Justice Ombija, as he sentenced him to death.