Ruth Kamande

KENYA: BOYFRIEND KILLER LOSES DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL

November 9, 2020:

Former Miss Langata Women Prison beauty queen Ruth Kamande who was convicted of murder for stabbing her boyfriend twenty-two times at Buruburu estate in 2015 will remain behind bars after the Court of Appeal on 6 November 2020 upheld her death sentence.
“Having carefully examined the evidence on record, we find the conclusion that the appellant violently, intentionally and unlawfully killed the deceased inescapable. On our own analysis, we find no fault and agree entirely with the learned Judge’s finding,” the Court of Appeal ruled.
High Court judge Jessie Lessit had found Kamande guilty of the offence and sentenced her to death in 2017.Kamande who was crowned the 2016 Langata Women Prison beauty queen later appealed the sentence.
She was represented by Prof. Githu Muigai, while the respondent was represented by Hassan, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions.
In her defence, Muigai faulted the prosecution for relying heavily on the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence he said was contradictory and inconsistent.
Among other concerns raised by the appellant was that the events unfolded in
the manner assumed by the trial court and the appellant was truly of bad intent and that the trial court had exhibited bias against the appellant.
Counsel submitted that the sentence imposed was unduly harsh and failed to appreciate that the appellant was 22 years old, a first time offender and that she had been willing to plead guilty to a charge of manslaughter before the plea bargaining process had been aborted by the prosecution.
According to submissions made in court, Kamande stabbed her 22-year-old boyfriend Farid Mohammed over twenty times following a domestic dispute sparked by a revelation that he had been taking HIV suppressing drugs without her knowledge.
Kamande said Mohammed had threatened her when she confronted him.