A woman, who killed her husband for taking Sh1,000 cash meant for food was on Thursday sentenced to three years probation.

Her sister, who struck him in the head, will also serve the same sentence.

The violence occurred on August 2, 2018, in Karena Village in Marakwet East subcounty within Elgeyo Marakwet. They have been in remand since then.

Winnie Jepkorir and her sister Irene Yatich were charged with manslaughter after they killed Jeremiah Kipkemoi who was hit on the head with a stone.

Both pleaded guilty.

Eldoret High Court Judge Erick Ogola said there was a clear provocation and the two did not mean to kill Kipkemoi during the fight.

“The proof of offence of manslaughter attracts a maximum sentence of life in prison. In this case however, there was a clear provocation. The fight did not immediately result in death. Death followed later, unexpectedly,” the judge ruled. 

According to court documents Kipkemoi, who was the husband of the accused, returned home while drunk at around 1pm. 

He took Sh1,000 that was on the table, money meant for food. His wife, who was also drunk, asked him to return the money but he refused.

A quarrel ensued and the two got physical. Jepkorir overpowered him and he fell to the floor. She started biting him while he was down.

Jepkoris’s sister, Yatich who saw the two fight, took a stone and hit the deceased on the head with it. The two continued to pinning him to the floor and retrieved the money before letting him go.

The husband fell asleep.

“At about 7.30pm my husband complained of headache so I gave him pain killers," the widow testified.

"We slept until around 5am when I tried to wake him up but he remained unresponsive. At that point I rushed out and  to notify neighbours and relatives,” Jepkorir told the court. 

It was then established that Kipkemoi had already died. 

The accused and her sister were arrested and taken to Tot police station.

They were charged with murder after the post mortem established the cause of death to be blunt injury to the head.

Jepkorir said she was remorseful and the facts that led to her husband's death were unfortunate. She said both of them were drunk and she regretted that.

She told court that she has three young children and the family of her husband has forgiven her. She begged for a non-custodial sentence.

The judge said the accused have been in custody for four years since their arrest, during which time Jepkorir conceived and delivered a baby in prison.

“All the three children now have only the accused as the remaining parent, therefore, a non-custodial sentence would serve more justice for the accused and victim,” the judge said.

“I therefore jail [sentence] the accused to a probation period of three years under supervision of the Probation Service,” he ruled. - AKELLO ODENYO, The Star

(Edited by V. Graham)

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr says the Wiper Party will accept nothing less than the position of a running mate in the coalition talks between its party leader and Azimio la Umoja Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga.

“For Kalonzo [Musyoka] to have agreed to forfeit presidency for the third time it must count for something,” Senator Kilonzo Jr said.

Speaking in Wote, Makueni County, Saturday after a meeting with leaders and politicians from the region, he said that the Wiper Party had advised its leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, to go for the Deputy President’s position, even as Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga continue with coalition negotiations. 

“While we are still in the process of negotiations and holding talks, we have asked that Kalonzo Musyoka be given the position of Deputy President,” he said.

Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s sentiments follow a meeting of his party leader with President Uhuru Kenyatta at Kalonzo’s Karen residence Friday evening.

“It was my absolute pleasure and joy to host the President of the Republic of Kenya H. E Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and my fellow OKA Principal Baringo Senator Gideon Moi at my Nairobi residence yesterday evening.

We are Azimio - One Kenya and we will support Right Honourable former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga for the presidency in the forthcoming August General Election,” Kalonzo tweeted on Saturday.

The meeting came a week after Kalonzo publicly endorsed Raila Odinga during the Azimio la Umoja Movement National Delegates Convention held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre. 

President Kenyatta praised him saying his sacrifice will not go unrewarded.

“It isn’t that Kalonzo was incapable. He is very capable of becoming president but decided to support his brother Raila,” President Kenyatta said.

In the Azimio NDC Raila Odinga also said that while he and Kalonzo may have had issues in the past, the two had patched up things.

When the defunct Nasa coalition was faced with internal wrangles, three of the four principals, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula had vowed that they would never work with Raila Odinga.

Even in post-Nasa politics, Kalonzo, on multiple occasions, publicly said that he would not enter into any political pacts with the former Prime Minister. By Elaine Kirui , The Standard