This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 18, 2019, the plea taking for Major Peter Mugure, a 36-year-old Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier, was deferred for a second time as he awaits a mental assessment.
Major Mugure is accused of murdering his estranged wife, Joyce Syombua, 31, and their two children, Shanice Mau, 10, and Prince Michael, 5, in Nanyuki Town.
Their bodies were found in a shallow grave in Makaburini area on the outskirts of Nanyuki Town on November 16, after the suspect led police to the site.
According to the prosecution, the suspect could not be examined on the previous Thursday as scheduled, as the psychiatrist at the Nyeri Referral Hospital was off duty due to a public holiday.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Peter Mailanyi, assured the court that all necessary arrangements would be made to have Major Mugure assessed this Thursday ahead of plea taking the following day, Friday, December 20.
The case, which commenced in Nanyuki court, will now be heard in Nyeri due to concerns over the safety of witnesses, including the family of the deceased and army officers.
