Former member of county assembly (MCA) for Riruta Ward Samuel Ndungu Njoroge has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder.
The MCA, alongside two others, was found guilty of the murder of Lucy Njambi Nyagiko, who was abducted, raped, and assaulted with sulfuric acid after which she died a day later.
The other two convicts, Joyce Njambi Mungai and Wilson Mwangi Munyua were handed a similar sentence by Justice (Prof) Joel Ngugi of Kiambu High Court.
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"While delivering the sentence, Justice (Prof) Joel Ngugi stated that the accused persons brutally murdered the deceased Lucy Njambi Nyagiko who was not yet 25 years old. The judge further stated that the act of the accused persons was an extreme act of domestic violence and femicide carried out in the most brutish and sadistic ways,' the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) stated.
"The deceased was abducted, raped, and assaulted with sulfuric acid after which she died a day later. The offence was committed on 24th January 2018 in Kiambu County."
MCA, 2 others guilty
Justice Ngugi found the three guilty on April 5 after being granted authority by the Chief Justice to conclude the matter after hearing the testimonies from 38 witnesses lined up by the prosecution.
Ngugi noted that the court was satisfied with the evidence adduced by prosecution witnesses.
"The compelling evidence provided by the prosecution highlighted the excessively jealous nature of the first accused (Samuel Njoroge), who had a history of assaulting the deceased and displaying aggression towards perceived romantic rivals," the Judge said in his ruling.
Justice Ngugi found that marital discord drove the MCA to orchestrate the crime.
The judge also noted that the prosecution proved the involvement of the second and the third accused persons in the crime.
"The involvement of the second accused in purchasing sulfuric acid, used in the attack, and the presence of the third accused near the crime scene as confirmed through mobile phone data records solidified the case," he said.
Justice Ngugi emphasized that the prosecution's evidence formed an indisputable chain leading to the guilt of all accused parties.
Lucy Nyagiko was kidnapped from her home in Thindigua estate along Kiambu Road on January 24, 2018, at around 8 pm.
She was raped, doused with acid, and left for dead in a coffee plantation near Kamiti corner along the Ruiru-Kiambu road.
Nyagiko was rescued by a Good Samaritan who rushed her to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, where she was given first aid before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for specialised treatment.
She died on January 26, 2018, while receiving treatment at KNH.
