A Kenyan man serving in the United States military has been sentenced to 26 years in prison after being found guilty of killing his wife during a domestic dispute.
According to local media in the U.S., the 53-year-old pleaded guilty on December 12 to murdering his wife, who was also serving in the military.
Documents presented before the court revealed that on February 21, 2025, the man and his wife were in an argument at their home in Killeen, Texas, when it turned deadly.
The fight took a different turn after the soldier shot his wife several times and then left the home with the victim locked in the main bedroom.
The suspect, while in his vehicle, called his brother and informed him of the shooting. The brother notified authorities, who located the victim’s body upon arriving at the suspect's residence.
Local authorities notified the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigators, who found blood, DNA and other forensic evidence which placed the suspect at the scene of the crime.
“We could not have achieved this outcome without the commitment and collaboration of our Texas law enforcement partners,” said one of the investigators after the ruling.
"While no sentence can undo the harm caused or restore what was taken, today’s outcome sends a clear message that our justice system will not waver in pursuit of those who commit such tragic and irreversible acts," he added.
The suspect, who was a military aircraft structural repairer, is expected to serve his 26-year prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
While such cases involving Kenyans in the U.S. are rare, there are similar incidents that have been reported in the past. For instance, in 2023, a Kenyan was arrested for reportedly killing his girlfriend.
According to detectives, the suspect then fled the U.S. the next day after purchasing a one-way airline ticket to Nairobi.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtained an arrest warrant at a court in Massachusetts, charging the suspect with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) later arrested the suspect on January 29, 2024, at the request of the US, but he escaped. He was, however, rearrested after being trailed to a local joint.
He was placed in custody for about a fortnight and later extradited to the U.S. to face murder charges.
