A 23‑year‑old man has been jailed for 45 years after admitting to killing his younger brother and nephew in a disturbing incident that happened in Kisumu County.
In a statement issued on March 17, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the youthful man was handed the lengthy jail term after strong evidence that clearly proved the accused brutally killed his brother and nephew using crude weapons.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions has secured a 45‑year custodial sentence against a 23‑year‑old man convicted of brutally murdering his younger brother and a nephew using crude weapons in Kisumu County,” read part of the statement.
The High Court in Kisumu found Arnold Ochieng Omollo guilty after he pleaded guilty to two murder charges. The court said Omollo admitted to the crimes willingly and only after being warned several times about how serious the charges were and the heavy punishment that comes with a murder conviction, a position the DPP said was properly handled by the court.
Omollo was charged under the law that deals with murder cases, which allows courts to issue long prison sentences for anyone found guilty of killing another person. The DPP said the charges matched the seriousness of the offence.
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DPP Says Crime Involved Extreme Violence
The court heard that between the night of November 25 and the early morning of November 26, 2024, Omollo attacked the two children while they were asleep in their house at Kamango Village, Awach Sub‑location, Nyakach Sub‑county in Kisumu County.
The DPP said the attack was deliberate and carried out when the children were most vulnerable.
The victims, both children, were under the age of 10 when they were killed, a fact the DPP said made the crime especially serious.
Prosecutors told the court that the attack was planned and carried out in a cruel way using crude weapons. After the incident, doctors confirmed that both children died from severe head injuries caused by deep cuts to the brain, findings the DPP said were backed by medical evidence.
Police officers who visited the scene recovered a metallic hoe and a wooden hoe handle, which were later presented in court. Medical experts linked the injuries on the children’s bodies to the recovered weapons, according to the DPP.
Prosecutor Mercy Muema told the court that the children were young, helpless, and unable to defend themselves. She said Omollo had a responsibility to protect them, but instead took their lives.
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Judge Orders Concurrent Sentences, Citing Seriousness of Crime
The prosecution also said there was no provocation and that Omollo showed no remorse after the killings. Because of the seriousness of the crime and the fact that the victims were minors under his care, the DPP urged the court to impose a stiff jail sentence.
In his ruling, Justice Joe M. Omido of the Kisumu High Court sentenced Omollo to 45 years in prison on each count. The judge ordered that the sentences run at the same time, meaning Omollo will serve a total of 45 years in jail.
The court said the sentence would take effect from December 18, 2024, the day Omollo was first presented before the court.
Justice Omido said the punishment shows how much the law values human life and how seriously it treats the killing of children, especially by someone close to them. He added that the sentence should also discourage others from committing similar crimes.
The DPP said the ruling sends a clear message that violent crimes, particularly those involving children and family members, will be prosecuted fully and punished firmly.
