The High Court in Nyeri has sentenced Nicholas Julius Macharia to death for the murder of a minor.
In a ruling dated February 19, Judge Kizito Magare noted that Macharia showed no remorse and described his actions as displaying a profound disregard for human life and dignity.
“The convict, Nicholas Julius Macharia, was charged with the offence of murder contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the Penal Code. Particulars of the offence were that on 24.05.2025 at Witemere area within Nyeri Township in Nyeri County within the Republic of Kenya, he murdered TBK(a minor). The minor’s name has been anonymized to protect the minor’s identity and dignity, now deceased,” read part of the court ruling.
The killing occurred on May 24, 2025, in Witemere, Nyeri Township, Nyeri County.
Nyeri Court Hands Death Penalty to Macharia for Killing Minor
The Prime suspect, Macharia, who knew the deceased through her family, initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty.
During the trial, the court received multiple exhibits, including the victim’s clothing, a spade and a fork, CCTV footage showing Macharia with the minor, a cybercrime report, analytical reports from the Government Chemist, the convict’s confession statement, crime scene photographs, and a medical assessment report of the accused.
A postmortem report revealed extensive injuries, including trauma to the face, oral abrasions, and severe genital injuries.
The court also considered a victim impact statement from the child’s mother, that showed the emotional trauma suffered by her and the community.
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Further, the court rejected his claim that the devil influenced his actions, stating that criminal responsibility lies solely with the offender.
Judge Kizito noted that Macharia continued to live in the house where he had buried the minor, demonstrating a disturbing level of moral depravity.
Macharia was sentenced to death, with the right to appeal within 14 days.
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Nicholas Macharia Pleads Guilty
In January 2026, the prime suspect shocked the court by pleading guilty for the murder of the minor.
His plea came after he had undergone a mental assessment report from the Murang’a Level V hospital confirming that he was mentally fit to stand trial.
At that time, Justice Magare ordered that Macharia be remanded in prison custody for 46 days, after which he will return to court to enter a plea.
The judge said the period was necessary to ensure that Macharia fully understood the legal consequences of pleading guilty to the offence.
“The accused has pleaded guilty to the charge. The sentence for the plea is that this court will sentence him to death. But before the court proceeds to sentencing, he will be given sometime in prison remand to reflect,” said the Judge.
After the court proceedings, the father of the deceased, Kelvin Mutahi, expressed optimism that the case was approaching its conclusion.
He described the process as long and painful and said the family was hopeful that justice will be served, allowing them to begin the healing process.
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