The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured a lengthy jail term for a fourth-year student at Machakos University who murdered a 15-year-old girl.
The Naivasha Law Courts sentenced the perpetrator, Fredrick Mwonjoria, to 25 years in prison.
Justice Grace Nzioki convicted Mwonjoria for the crime committed six years ago when he was a student at Nanyuki High School, aged 17.
It is reported that Mwonjoria killed the victim, Valerian Njeri after she rejected his sexual advances.
Mwonjoria, who was a student when the incident occurred, was charged with the murder of Njeri on November 28, 2019, in Mirera Estate, Naivasha.
The two were neighbours in the estate, which is home to many flower farm workers.
Machakos University Student Who Murdered Girl During Revision Session Jailed for 25 Years
The prosecution, led by Counsel Shirley Chepkonga, presented twelve witnesses and established that the accused and the deceased were neighbors, with the deceased frequently seeking academic assistance from him.
Mwonjoria, reportedly attacked the girl with a knife after luring her into his home. Njeri’s body was later found dumped outside the accused’s gate, with blood traces leading to his room, where the murder weapon and bloodied clothes were recovered.
He stabbed the Form Two student 12 times, with most of her injuries being on the neck and forehead, signs that the accused had the full intention of killing the girl.
“On the material day, she went to his home for help with school assignments but never returned, prompting her parents to search for her in vain,” ODPP said.
“The following day, her body was discovered along a road, where her father later identified her remains.”
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A prosecution witness testified that the accused eventually confessed to the murder, stating that he had invited the deceased for revision and, in the process, propositioned to her.
When she declined, a struggle ensued.
“The deceased overpowered him and attempted to escape, but he stabbed her in the back. As she bled on the sofa, he panicked and moved her to the bedroom, where she remained in pain,” ODPP added.
“Upon realizing she was unconscious, he stabbed her further in the face, chest, and back.”
Why the Student Was Jailed Despite Being a Minor at the Time of the Crime
During sentencing, the accused’s advocate pleaded with the court to treat him as a child and sentence him under the Children Act 2022.
However, Prosecution vehemently opposed the plea, arguing the convict was no longer a minor and therefore ineligible.
They urged the court to impose a retributive and deterrent sentence due to the aggravating circumstances.
While sentencing Mwonjoria, Justice Nzioka stated that his actions, though he was a minor at the time, were beastly and thus warranted a custodial sentence.
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She noted that, based on previous cases, a death or life sentence was ruled out because the accused was a minor when the incident occurred, but a custodial sentence was necessary.
Nzioki added that she had considered the mitigation presented by the defense, which called for leniency due to the accused’s age at the time of the crime. However, the fact that he hid the body under his bed and shared dinner with his family as if nothing had happened painted a troubling picture.
Pursuant to legal provisions and judicial precedents, the prosecution successfully proved the elements of murder beyond reasonable doubt, including the occurrence of death, the act of the accused, and malice aforethought.
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