Mali, Mali! Hawker sentenced to death for murdering his step brother

A quarry worker yesterday was sentenced to death for killing his stepbrother nine years ago. Patrick Muiru killed Joseph over a grudge with his stepmother on April 27, 2009, in Kangoo village, Thika town.

"The fact and the cause of death of the deceased was proved beyond reasonable doubt by the evidence of four prosecution witnesses, all of whom witnessed the body of the deceased being retrieved from the family borehole," High Court judge James Wakiaga said.

He said killing of his stepbrother and dumping his body in the family borehole was inhuman since he had an obligation to protect him. "I find that such kind of a man cannot be allowed to continue living in the society. I therefore sentence him to death as provided by the law for murder offences," Justice Wakiaga ruled.

-The Star/ALPHONCE MUNG'AHU