Community health volunteer in court over murder of 17-year-old niece

A 26-year-old community health volunteer on Tuesday appeared before the High Court in Garissa, charged with the murder of his 17-year-old niece.

Shafa Bilal Shaklane was arraigned before Justice John Onyiego to answer one count of murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.

Principal Prosecution Counsel Bernard Owuor told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had charged the accused with the murder of Safiya Hussein Bilal.

The court heard that the offence was allegedly committed on November 16, 2025, at around midnight at Borehole 5 in Fafi Sub-County, Garissa County.

The prosecution opposed an objection by the defense seeking to stop the accused from taking plea, citing a mental assessment report that indicated that Shaklane has “a mild form of mental psychopathology due to psychoactive substance abuse—khat.”

The defense urged the court to defer the plea and order a second mental assessment.

However, Owuor opposed the application, stating that the report concluded the accused was fit to stand trial, as he understood the nature of the charge facing him.

“The condition does not interfere with his mental status and does not affect his capacity to stand trial.”

“The purpose of conducting such an assessment is to determine the fitness or otherwise of the accused to stand trial,” the prosecutor said.

The accused further demonstrated his mental capacity when the court inquired into his professional and family background and whether he understood why he was in court.

“I am a community health worker and a father of two, including a minor who is yet to start schooling,” he told the judge.

He pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

The prosecution said it would call nine witnesses, including a 13-year-old boy who is under protection, to prove its case.

Justice Onyiego directed that the minor be presented before him later in the day to give testimony, in line with resolutions by the local court users committee giving priority to child witnesses.

It is alleged that the deceased was defiled before being strangled to death, after which the accused allegedly orchestrated a failed plan to secretly bury her.

Three people who were initially arrested in connection with the murder have since been turned into prosecution witnesses.

The accused allegedly misled them that the deceased had died of dengue, seeking their help to wash and shroud the body in preparation for an Islamic burial.