Man sentenced to death for killing grandparents

Nathaniel and Esther Kamau were an elderly couple who lived in Gachuhi village of Njoro, Nakuru County and who went missing on July 30 2001.

Worried by their absence, neighbours alerted their son David Kamau, who lived in Njoro town.

When David got home, he found his nephew - Michael Kamau who was living with his grandparents at the time, and who said the couple had left for a relative’s wedding in Narok. He said they’d be away for a week.

David was not convinced by the story saying he was not aware of any relative’s wedding and that it was unlike his parents to up and leave without informing anyone.

Michael, however, assured his uncle that his grandparents were in a hurry and may have forgotten to inform their family and friends.

With no alternative but to wait for their return, David went back to his home but requested Michael to stay put and roped in his cousin Grace Njeri to tend to the livestock.

The next day, Grace set about preparing to milk the cows. She light a fire and went to fetch water for boiling but the tap was dry. She decided to fetch water from the concrete tank and when she opened it was met by the gory sight of the couple’s lifeless bodies floating inside.

Grace immediately raised the alarm and neighbours called police who retrieved the bodies and transported them to Nakuru Provincial Hospital Mortuary.

A post-mortem concluded that Nathaniel Kamau and Esther Wangari died due to cardiac arrest caused by severe head injuries.

Police focused their investigations on the prime suspect, Michael Kamau, who was then on the run.

He was eventually arrested on August 27, 2001 in Elburgon by the public after Njoro police issued a warrant for his arrest.

He was arraigned before the courts charged with murder with the prosecution seeking a death sentence which was upheld.

Michael then moved to the Court of Appeal saying there was no evidence linking him directly to the murder and that it was possible other person’s who frequented his grandparents home could be behind the crime.

However, on 17 December 2015, appellate judges Phillip Waki, Roselyn Nambuye and Patrick Kiage dismissed his appeal.

The judges said Michael was the only other occupant of the homestead and whatever befell the two deceased was a fact calling for some explanation in law.