This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
On May 13, 2020, a shocking case unfolded in Nyeri, Kenya, where a Judiciary official, Naomi Wanjiku, was accused of murdering her husband and child in Kioru, Kirinyaga County.
Nyeri High Court Judge Jairus Ngaa referred Wanjiku to Mathare Mental Hospital in Nairobi after being told she was not fit to stand trial due to her mental state.
Senior State Counsel Emma Gicheha presented a physiatrist report indicating that Wanjiku was suffering from depression and was thus not fit to stand trial.
“Your honour, the report we have indicates that the accused is suffering from depression and is not fit to stand trial,” Gicheha told the court.
Justice Ngaa ordered that Wanjiku be taken to the mental health facility in Nairobi and brought back to court on June 18.
Wanjiku, who was serving at Karatina Law Court, is alleged to have attacked her husband and daughter with an axe at their family home in Kioru village, Kirinyaga West District.
The victims, Charles Murimi and Varelline Njeri, died after sustaining deep injuries.
