Life in jail for Makueni man who cut off lover’s hands and leg

28-year-old Judith Muendi (left) whose hands and a leg were cut off by her lover Reuben Kivuva alias Cameroon (right). Kivuva has been jailed for life on December 6, 2017 after he was found guilty by a magistrate in Makindu.

What you need to know:

  • A single mother of three, Muendi had her hands cut off at the wrist and the right leg was cut off slightly above the knee.

  • She limped into the courtroom on an artificial foot and would scratch the scalp with the stumps of her arms.

  • Outside the court, Ms Muendi told Nation that she was satisfied with the court’s ruling.

A man who chopped off his estranged lover’s hands and leg using a panga during a domestic quarrel two years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Reuben Kivuva alias Cameroon, 35, attacked Ms Judith Muendi, 28, on December 13, 2015, at their rented house at Emali township, Makueni County.

And at a Makindu court Wednesday, Senior Resident Magistrate Gerald Mutiso found Kivuva guilty of attempting to kill Ms Muendi.

“I have considered the accused’s mitigation that he is a father of three children, a husband of an epileptic wife and a son of a diabetic mother,” said Mr Mutiso.

“I have also considered the victim’s impact report, which indicates that the victim (complainant) is now totally dependent on her mother to wash her, dress her and cook for her.

“The violence meted out by you, the accused, upon a helpless woman in cold blood is mind-boggling.”

SURGERY

A single mother of three, Muendi had her hands cut off at the wrist and the right leg was cut off slightly above the knee. She underwent surgery, blood transfusion and skin grafting at Makindu Hospital.

On Wednesday, she limped into the courtroom on an artificial foot and would scratch the scalp with the stumps of her arms.

Ms Muendi’s lover-turned-foe had accused her of philandering.

Kivuva told the court he tracked her to a popular bar at Kiunduani market, 56 kilometres south of Emali, on the eve of the incident and found her in a compromising position with a man.

He had actually warned Ms Muendi that he would kill her should he find her with another man, Mr Mutiso noted. 

However, in her testimony, Ms Muendi said she had spent the night in a friend’s house and that the following morning she went to her grocery stall in Emali where the man picked her up.

LOVE AFFAIR

“You cut off your lover’s left hand, you cut off her right hand, you cut off her right leg, all because this young lady wanted to end your love affair with her after she discovered that you had another wife,” said Mr Mutiso.

Prosecutor Tito Wanga had called for the maximum sentence, saying Kivuva intended to kill his lover.

Through lawyer Francis Mwangangi, the convict had offered his motorcycle worth Sh150,000 to Ms Muendi and her family as reparation. But the court ordered that it be confiscated and given to Ms Muendi to use as she deemed fit.

Kivuva was also ordered to pay Sh7 million for the victim’s medical bill.

Outside the court, Ms Muendi told Nation that she was satisfied with the court’s ruling.

“This attack has affected my entire family. I’m now dependent on my mother and my siblings, who depended on me for their upkeep, have suffered [due to] lack of provisions,” said Ms Muendi.