Jane Muthoni, a former principal who was found guilty of murdering her husband, Solomon Mbuthi Mwangi, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Muthoni and her co-accused Isaac Ng'anga were both sentenced to 30 years from when they started serving in remand in 2016.
High court judge Joel Ngugi ruled that the two had orchestrated the murder after the court heard that it was not the first time the accused was planning his husband's death.
He, therefore, indicated that the prosecution had proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt.
“A stiff custodial sentence against the accused is merited,” he stated.
The prosecution had wanted the two to get life imprisonment but the family prayed for a lighter sentence on May 18, 2021 when Muthoni's daughter, June Mbithi, stated that she was the sole provider.
Mbuthi noted that she and her siblings had faced a tough time since her mother went into remand.
"We all want justice for my father. He was my best friend but the absence of my parents has been so hard for my siblings and I for the past 5 years. We request the court to have mercy on my mum.
"I know it can't be undone but we don't have anyone we can fully rely on. All that time, we have been depending on third parties like relatives and friends," she had pleaded.
Section 203 and 204 of the Penal Code imposes a mandatory death sentence for people convicted of murder but the Muruatetu precedent allowed judges to deviate from the mandatory death sentence.
The landmark Muruatetu ruling declared that the mandatory death sentence was unconstitutional and allowed judges some leeway to change sentencing based on the circumstances in each case.
Solomon was reported missing on November 6, 2016 and his body was found dumped in a coffee plantation in Juja, eight days later on November 14.
