This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On September 7, 2019, a tragic incident occurred at Kathita village in Embu West sub-county, Kenya. Emily Wanjira (24) and her sister Esther Kagendo (28) were left distraught after their father, Zachary Kiura Mutindi, used their brother's funeral funds to treat himself to a three-day drinking spree.
According to their lawyer, Guantai Kirimi, the family had lost a son, Murimi, to a short illness, and they were in mourning while mobilizing funds for his burial. However, their father's reckless behavior sparked a heated argument with his wife, Tabitha Weruma, who then phoned the two daughters to come and plead with him to hand over the money.
When the sisters confronted their father, he failed to produce the money, leading to a violent confrontation. Unfortunately, their father died the next morning due to head injuries caused by blunt object trauma.
Emily Wanjira and Esther Kagendo were arrested and charged with manslaughter. However, they pleaded guilty to unintentionally killing their father and were sentenced to two years' probation by Lady Justice Florence Muchemi. The court ruled that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.
It's worth noting that their mother, Tabitha Weruma, has denied the charge of murder and her case is set for January 13.
