This archive report was first published on 18 November 2021.
On November 18, 2021, a court in Kenya handed down a 40-year prison sentence to George Morara, a 50-year-old man from Kisii, for the murder of his wife.
According to reports, Morara was found guilty of the crime in 2019 and was deemed a threat to his community by the judge.
Probation officers presented a report to the court, stating that Morara was a "nuisance murderer, a thief, and an extortionist".
His brother, a police officer based in Nairobi, corroborated this assessment, stating that Morara had a history of committing serious crimes.
Despite Morara's claims of being terminally ill and having transformed during his detention, the judge found no evidence to support this and ruled that a non-custodial sentence was not suitable.
Prosecutors had recommended a life sentence for Morara, but the judge ultimately settled on 40 years in prison.
"By releasing you, you will cause more harm to the community," the judge ruled. "You are a serious offender to your family and to the community. You deserve a life sentence for the safety of Marani people."
