Naftali Kinuthia Receives 40-Year Sentence for Ivy Wangeci Murder

Naftali Kinuthia has received a 40-year prison sentence for the murder of medical student Ivy Wangeci in Eldoret four years ago. Justice Stephen Githinji, citing the brutality of the crime, called for a severe punishment against Kinuthia.

The judge acknowledged the loss of an innocent life but also considered pleas from lawyer Mathenge Wokabi, representing the accused, and lawyers for the victim. While the victim’s and the state’s lawyers had sought the death penalty, Githinji rejected the idea of a tooth-for-a-tooth approach in delivering the verdict.

Earlier, Kinuthia had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, hoping for a second chance in life. Lawyer Wokabi passionately argued for mitigation before Justice Githinji issued the verdict.

Wokabi pleaded for leniency, emphasizing the possibility of the accused’s reintegration into society and the use of his educational skills. He highlighted Kinuthia’s expression of remorse during the defense and argued that the accused had not interfered with witnesses or contacted the deceased’s family.

Wokabi urged the court to consider a sentence other than the death penalty, emphasizing that sentencing should not be an act of vengeance and acknowledging that it would not restore the life of the deceased.

In the previous ruling, Githinji had found Kinuthia guilty of murdering Wangeci. The judge rejected Kinuthia’s defense, which claimed provocation after the end of their love relationship. Githinji noted the absence of evidence supporting an intimate relationship and dismissed the accused’s assertion of provocation.

The judge emphasized that Ivy and Kinuthia were not married but old friends, highlighting the use of a lethal weapon—an axe—during the attack, leaving the victim with no chance of survival.

Kinuthia followed the proceedings virtually from the Eldoret GK prison.