Pastor' jailed 10 years for killing his wife

Stephen Nderitu, 70, has been jailed for 10 years for the murder of his wife on the eve of Valentine's Day, two years ago.

Nderitu, known as a pastor for his commitment to the church, killed his wife of 42 years using a panga and a hammer.

On Valentine’s Eve, Nderitu dragged his wife, Rosa Chokchok, from the kitchen where she was sleeping with her 15-year-old daughter.

Nakuru High Court Judge Samwel Mohochi found that Nderitu killed his wife in an open field where they had harvested maize.

The court heard that Nderitu tried to conceal the murder by dumping the body in a disused well.

“The body was pushed in headfirst, attempting to conceal the body by covering the disused borehole with remnant maize stalks from the harvest,” Mohochi observed.

Their 15-year-old daughter testified that on the said date, around 7 p.m., Nderitu asked her mother to milk the cows, but she declined because she was feeling unwell. He dismissed her excuse and forced the children to help him.

The girl testified that her mother slept in the kitchen on the fateful night, which angered Nderitu.

Around 9 pm, the accused entered the kitchen, switched off the lights, and demanded that his wife join him in their bedroom, but she refused.

Disappointed by Chokchok’s response, he reportedly pulled her out of bed, causing her to fall, and dragged her out of the kitchen.

The girl heard her mother screaming and pleading for her life. She later went to bed, believing her mother was packing to leave for her parents' house.

The next morning, the kitchen appeared clean, but the minor noticed blood stains on slippers and water bottles.

Nderitu dropped her off at school and was later picked up around 11 am after the discovery of her mother’s remains.

Johnson Lengeywa, the couple's son, testified that while at home, he heard his sister screaming.

When he responded, he found their mother lying next to their father, who was holding a hammer and a panga. Nderitu threatened to kill him, forcing him back to his house.

The next morning, Lengeywa was sent to the Nessuit shopping center and, upon returning home, discovered that his mother was missing.

He found a panga with blood stains on the handle and a hammer also stained with blood. When he asked Nderitu about the blood, he took away the two items and gave him a different panga.

Lengeywa tried calling his mother, but there was no response.

After that, he contacted his siblings, who advised him to check the well since their father had threatened to kill their mother and dispose her body there.

True to their fears, Lengeywa found their mother's body in the well, covered in a blanket. He testified in court that his father showed no remorse and continued to threaten them.

A postmortem revealed that Chokchok died from severe head injuries caused by blunt force and sharp trauma.

In his defense, Nderitu claimed that his children had lied about the incident and that his wife had an affair with another man.

The court considered the pre-sentencing report on Nderitu, stating that his children had forgiven him and his daughter had dropped out of school due to a lack of school fees.

The judge noted Nderitu’s age, remorse, and the absence of any previous criminal record.

“The court is alive to the far-reaching effect of Nderitu’s conduct upon his children, but equally recalls that his wife deserved better from him,” the judge said.

Justice Mohochi ruled that Nderitu will have to atone for his sin and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.