Court jails varsity student for eight years over colleague’s death

A Moi University student has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment by an Eldoret court for killing his colleague in a love triangle.

Dickson Syengo Mutemi, 20, was found guilty by Eldoret Principal Magistrate Charles Obulutsa for killing Stephen Mututho on March 21, last year at Pioneer estate hostels in Eldoret town.

He was found guilty of stabling Mr Mututho eight times in the stomach and in the chest after he found him in a room with his girlfriend.

The deceased was a final-year Bachelor of Hotel and Hospitality Management student.

He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where he had been rushed by other colleagues.

HAS DAUGHTER

The prosecution presented 11 witnesses including the female student who testified in the murder case that has taken a year and three months.

In mitigation, Mr Mutemi prayed to the court not to grant him custodial sentence but probations to enable him proceed with his studies.

“Your honour it is now one year and three months since I was put in custody, as you sentence me, kindly, consider putting me on probation so that I can be able to realise my life dream,” he pleaded.

He went on to tell the court that he has one-year-old daughter who needs parental care.

Responding to his mitigation Mr Obulutsa said that the maximum sentence for murder is life sentence hence the court gave him a lenient sentence of 8 years.

“You are a live, but the other family has lost a son following your act, I know the prison department has proper mechanism in place to help you to continue pursuing your studies in hospitality industry which you were pursuing at Moi university Eldoret town campus,” ruled the magistrate.