A man who killed a Moi University medical student four years ago will serve 40 years in prison.
An Eldoret court on Thursday sentenced Naftali Kinuthia to four decades behind bars for killing Ivy Wangeci.
In March this year, Kinuthia confessed before the High Court to hacking his then-girlfriend Wangeci using an axe, saying it was due to anger.
In the attack on the morning of April 9, 2019, Kinuthia struck Wangeci twice on the head outside Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
During trial, Kinuthia, an IT expert, claimed that his relationship with Wangeci started at a primary school they both attended in Thika town and continued when they joined high school, with her at Alliance Girls’ and him at Nyandarua Boys’.
He said he spent a lot of money on Wangeci through the years yet she rejected him for being short, hugged another man in front of him and made a lot of money from him, knowing she did not intend to pursue their relationship further.
Kinuthia told the court that he continued supporting Wangeci financially even when she turned cold towards him.
He said he had spent more than Sh100,000 on her and was in the process of reclaiming it from her parents after realising their love was not blooming.
Just before he killed her, he told justice Stephen Githinji, he had sent her Sh7,000 for her birthday, but she did not invite him to the party. But he was not offended, he said, since he had been funding these parties during their relationship of many years.
“On the fateful day, I travelled to Eldoret to help with the facilitation of a colourful birthday that was scheduled for April 10, 2019,” he said, adding he felt hurt when Wangeci told him she loved someone else and ridiculed him for being short, saying he did not impress her.
“I was not happy when the deceased told me, through her close friend, that she did not love me because I was too short,” he said, adding he sought the help of a close friend of Wangeci’s in a bid to end the turmoil in their relationship.
Kinuthia said he was also angered by Wangeci’s act of hugging another man in his presence, and accused her of cheating on him.
He told the court he could not stand watching a man he considered his rival hugging his girlfriend in front of him.
“I could not stand that scenario. I lost control of myself and attacked her with my ax since I was out of my mind. I was completely out of myself [sic],” he said.
Kinuthia said he was remorseful even as he accused Wangeci of “minting a lot of money” from him, knowing she was no longer interested in their romantic relationship.
He noted their differences could have been resolved and not ended up in a murder.
“I forever regret the death of Ivy. She was innocent. There are so many ways we could have resolved our differences,” he said, adding the ax was for defending himself, not killing her.
