This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
On November 29, 2019, a bizarre case unfolded in the Embu High Court, where two sisters, Esther Kagendo Mwangi and Emily Wanjira Mwangi, along with their mother, Tabither Weruma, appeared before Judge Florence Muchemi.
Initially, the trio had pleaded not guilty to murder charges, but on the day of the hearing, they surprisingly changed their plea to guilty, accepting the reduced charge of manslaughter.
The case dates back to September 7, 2019, when the family members allegedly assaulted their father, Zachary Kiura Mutindi, over Ksh. 5,000 meant for his son's burial. The father succumbed to his injuries two days later, and the postmortem results revealed that he died from trauma to the head caused by a blunt object.
Following investigations, the three were arrested and charged with murder. However, they pleaded not guilty and were remanded at Embu GK prison for a mental assessment.
On November 29, 2019, the sisters pleaded for a custodial sentence, stating that they were the only ones left to take care of the family, as their father was dead and their mother was in jail. They also expressed remorse for their actions and requested a social behavior report to aid in sentencing.
Justice Muchemi directed the probation team to furnish the court with the report by December 16, 2019, when the trio will take their plea afresh.
