Attendees and the family of the late Ivy Wangechi were overwhelmed with grief after the main suspect in the case confessed and regretted hacking her to death.
Naftali Kinuthia, on Friday, March 3, appeared before a judge in Malindi, Kilifi County, for the first time since the High Court found that he had a case to answer in 2022.
In his defence plea, the 33-year-old confessed to killing his girlfriend for what he called being “overwhelmed by anger” in fear that his childhood friend had betrayed him.
He claimed to have been supportive of the slain lover by facilitating her upkeep while at Moi University and even contributing to her school fee.
On the fateful day in April 2019, he travelled from Thika where he was working to Eldoret for what would have been a surprise visit to her long-time partner on her birthday.
However, things turned sour between the two after the victim allegedly turned down Kinuthia's advances, prompting him to murder her.
"I only left for a few metres and on turning back I saw them hugging. "I cannot even tell the moment that I decided to pick the axe. I was not myself," he stated.
According to Kinuthia, the thought of being a murderer had affected his life and family as well. He narrated how his father fell sick and eventually died owing to the tribulations facing the family.
In his plea, Kinuthia noted that it had dawned on him that the decision to take an axe and hack the victim was ill-informed and that they would have resolved their differences through alternative ways.
His noted that he was secluded from his family since he was sent in remand at the onset of his prosecution.
"This is an incident that I have regretted forever. After thinking about it and reflecting, I know it would not have happened," he narrated.
"Since that day I felt like I have done something very unacceptable. It is like I have been secluded from society.
"Even when I am in prison I was told that my father fell sick and passed away. So I know the feeling of losing a loved one. I feel bad for the victim’s family. If there is anything that could be done now I would do it."
Kinuthia had previously denied the murder charges against him in previous pleas.
However, the prosecution side provided evidence and testimonies which the judge presiding over the case found enough to prove that Kinuthia had a case to answer.
Following his confession and defence plea, the judge retreated to prepare a verdict on the judgement on whether to sentence him and the length of the sentence thereof.
On Thursday, May 27 2021, Winfred Waithera King'ori, the mother of the late Ivy Wangechi, accused the courts of dragging the murder case.
She lamented that the family was disappointed as the defence lawyer failed to show up several times.
"I am a very frustrated mother to a dead girl. Since 2019, I have wished that I was born in another country where justice can prevail.
"What I have learnt from this process is that the accused people in the prison and jails have rights but believe you me, people whose members have been murdered have no rights," she complained.
