Kakamega woman charged with son’s murder

A woman was yesterday charged with killing her son aged three and laying him on his grandfather’s grave.

Mary Nyapunyi allegedly murdered Jacktone Moche on May 8, 2018, at their Malama Village, Butere sub-county.

Nyapunyi has been in custody for the last one year after the initial mental assessment report indicated she was mentally unstable to stand murder trial.

However, when the matter came up for mention yesterday, her lawyer Sylviah Ashitsa said a fresh psychiatric test revealed the suspect is now sane and ready to take a plea for the capital offence.

According to documents tendered in court, Nyapunyi’s husband Aggrey Angolo noticed she seemed unwell as her behaviour was unusual when they woke up at 6am.

He tried to enquire what the problem was to no avail making him conclude that his wife who previously had a mental challenge had fallen sick again.

Angolo stayed in the house till in the afternoon when he left to a nearby shopping center leaving the accused and their son behind.

However, on coming back, he found people coalescing at his homestead with Moche’s body lying lifeless on his grandfather’s grave. The body had deep cut wounds at the back of the head.

Upon inquiry on what had transpired, Nyapunyi remained quiet. Angolo then reported the matter at Butere Police Station.

The suspect told the police that she murdered her son but did not disclose the motive of committing the heinous crime.

She has been held at Kakamega Women's Prison since her arrest.

A post mortem report conducted at St Mary’s Mission Hospital indicated that the cause of death was a severe head injury.

When she appeared before High Court Judge Jesse Njagi, Nyapunyi denied the murder charges and was granted Sh300,000 bond with a surety of similar amount.

Her case will be heard on October 14.