Househelps jailed for killing child

A househelp who suffocated a two-year-old boy and dumped his body in a pit latrine was on Tuesday jailed for 30 years.

Elispher Muthoni killed Alexander Kung’u Wangui, who had been stolen from his mother’s house in Thika by Elizabeth Waithera Mary.

The boy and his four-year-old brother, Kennedy Mwangi, had been left in Waithera’s care.

Muthoni, who was living with Waithera at Kabati in Murang’a County, hatched the murder plot when they heard a description of the househelp who had disappeared with the boy on radio.

She covered the boy’s mouth with her hand until he suffocated. They then threw the body in the pit latrine.

Police investigations led them to Kabati where they arrested Muthoni, who led them to Waithera’s home.

The two househelps were found guilty last November of suffocating the boy and dumping his body in the pit latrine.

In his ruling, Mr Justice Nicholas Ombija said that he had considered all the mitigation and circumstances surrounding the case and found it appropriate to sentence Muthoni to 30 years behind bars.

“She will serve 30 years instead of the death penalty which such an offence normally attracts. By the time she gets out of jail, she will be mature enough to know the value of children,” said Justice Ombija.

Waithera narrowly escaped the sentence as she was a minor at the time of arrest and prosecution.

Justice Ombija said Waithera will be detained at the President’s pleasure as she was 17 when the crime was committed in 2004.