This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
Beatrice Mwende, a 42-year-old mother of seven, has been accused of killing her four children in Naivasha on June 27, 2020. The incident occurred when she appeared in a Naivasha court on June 29, 2020.
According to reports, Mwende claimed that evil spirits were responsible for the tragic event. She alleged that she was possessed by these spirits on the 26th day of every month, which led her to commit the heinous crime.
Speaking before she was arraigned in court, Mwende asked for mercy, stating that she was not in control of her actions. She claimed that her boyfriend, whom she had parted ways with last year, would take control over her, ordering her to do 'all manner of queer things' during their relationship.
Mwende's children, Melody Warigia (8), Willy Macharia (6), Samantha Njeri (4), and Whitney Nyambura (2), were found dead on their beds next to each other. Melody and Willy were students at Milimani Primary School.
On June 29, 2020, detectives were given seven more days to continue holding Mwende. She appeared before Naivasha Law Courts but was not required to plead to the charges. The police stated that they intended to charge her with murder.
Corporal Samuel Wambugu told Naivasha Senior Resident Magistrate Yusuf Baraza that a mental assessment had not been conducted on the suspect nor a post-mortem on the four bodies. Mwende will appear in court on July 6, 2020.
