This archive report was first published on 24 October 2021.
On October 24, 2021, the High Court acquitted Philip Onyancha, a man accused of being a serial killer, of murdering a woman in Nairobi in 2008.
The court found that the police investigation was poor and relied heavily on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution had called 14 witnesses, including the woman's father, who testified that she had been preparing to travel to Dubai for a new job.
However, the court found that the prosecution had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. In her judgment, Justice Jessie Lesiit pointed out that the police had left out many critical gaps in the investigation, including whether the woman had entertained a visitor on the night she was killed.
Onyancha had been accused of killing Jackline Chepngetich Misoi on May 30, 2008, along Munyiri road in Nairobi. He was arraigned before the court on June 18, 2008, and denied the charge.
Doctors who testified in the case said that Onyancha had a personality narcissistic disorder, which was the primary driver of his actions. According to one of the psychiatrists, Onyancha had an exaggerated sense of self-importance and had pre-occupations with fantasies of unlimited success, power, and brilliance.
Despite the acquittal, Onyancha is still facing more murder cases.
