Mandera man sentenced to 30 years for employer’s murder

By Daisy Okiring

A Garissa High Court has sentenced Anthony Murithi Nyaga to 30 years in prison for the murder of his employer.

Delivering the judgment, Justice John Onyiego stated that Nyaga showed no remorse for the brutal killing and had betrayed the trust of an employer who had retained him for nine years. The court found Nyaga guilty of murder under Section 203, read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.

Crime and arrest

The murder occurred after the government imposed a ban on quarry operations in Mandera County due to rising insecurity. Mohamed, the employer, had instructed Nyaga to take leave until the ban was lifted. Instead, Nyaga struck him on the head, killed him, and buried the body in a shallow grave before fleeing to Embu County. He was later arrested and arraigned in Garissa.

Prosecution and sentencing

The prosecution presented 11 witnesses in support of the case. Justice Onyiego cited the severity of the crime and a negative pre-sentencing report in determining the sentence.

“This was a brutal and inhuman act. The accused abused the trust of his employer and cut off his family’s income source. A deterrent sentence is necessary,” ruled Justice Onyiego.

Family reaction

Family members of the deceased expressed mixed reactions to the sentence. Abdirizack Salat, a niece of the victim, welcomed the ruling but felt the punishment should have been longer.

“We’re glad justice was served, but we hoped for at least 50 years or life imprisonment,” said Salat, adding that the family would oppose any appeals by the convict.

Sumeya Hassan Salat, the victim’s daughter, emotionally recalled the suffering the family has endured over the past two years. “We’ll never get our father back, but at least the court gave us justice,” she said.