Man who killed drunk wife sentenced to hang

On August 12, 2005 at around 7pm, Joyce Gacheri and her grandson Amos Murega were in her home in Gaintume Village, Meru County preparing dinner.

A few minutes later, Gacheri’s daughter-in-law Dorcas Kaguri arrived from Meru town with luggage. She left the items with her son Murega saying she was going to buy paraffin from the local shopping centre. However, when Kaguri came back, about 30 minutes later, she was visibly drunk and was staggering around the compound.

Kaguri’s husband Julius Koome, who had been working on the farm all day, was preparing dinner for his children when his drunk wife arrived home from town. He was not amused by his wife’s state and a quarrel ensured between the couple, which quickly degenerated into a physical fight.

Gacheri and Murega’s efforts to calm the two was futile and when Koome stuck his wife, Gacheri tried to pull them apart and requested them not to fight at her home.

The irate Koome then grabbed a metallic pipe and hammer like object which he used to strike Kaguri who fell to the ground. He then started kicking her even though she did not fight back at this point.

Gacheri and Murega sought refuge and assistance from a neighbor Patrick Kibuu who told them to inform the village elder, which they did.

Murega returned home at around 9pm and did not find his mother at the home. The following day, Kaguri was found dead at Gacheri’s doorstep and Koome was immediately arrested and arraigned in court for the murder of his wife.

He denied the charges saying while he confronted his wife, he only threatened to beat her up and she fled before he did.

The trial court, however, found Koome guilty of murder and sentenced him to death.

He appealed the decision but on June 24, 2016, Nyeri Court of Appeal judges Phillip Waki, Roselyn Nambuye and Patrick Kiage dismissed his appeal.

The judges noted that Koome was the last person to see Kaguri alive and he could not account for his whereabouts between 7pm and 9pm.