The prosecution secured a life sentence for former Kenya Army Major Peter Mwaura Mugure following his conviction for the brutal murder of his two young children and their mother.
In a matter, Justice Martin Muya of the High Court in Nyeri sentenced Mugure to life imprisonment on all three counts of murder, with the sentences to run concurrently, after finding that the offences warranted the harshest punishment.
In arriving at the sentence, the court considered a victim impact statement by the victims’ family and submissions by the Prosecution, which had urged the court to impose the death penalty.
The judge observed that the convict had demonstrated “no iota of remorse” throughout the trial and noted the increasing cases of infanticide and femicide in the country, saying they called for severe punishment.
He further described the killings as “barbaric” before imposing the life sentence, while taking into account the period the convict had already spent in custody.
The conviction followed a meticulously prosecuted case led by Principal Prosecution Counsel Jennifer Kaniu and Principal Prosecution Counsel Pithon Mwangi, who proved beyond reasonable doubt that the former military officer had carefully planned and executed the killings in October 2019.
Prosecution established that Mugure, who was then serving as a Major at the Laikipia Air Base, lured his family to the military installation under the pretext of a family visit.
On October 26, 2019, he murdered his two children before later killing their mother. He then concealed the three bodies in the boot of his vehicle and transported them to a remote location where they were dumped.
Witnesses further testified that Mugure had visited the disposal site three days before the murders and arranged for a shallow grave to be dug, demonstrating clear premeditation.
The court held that the Prosecution had presented cogent, credible and consistent evidence that irresistibly pointed to the former Army Major’s guilt, leading to his conviction and eventual life sentence.
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