Murder suspect refutes report that he’s fit to stand trial

Justice Teresia Matheka of the Nyeri High Court where a murder suspect appearing before has refuted a mental assessment reporting indicating that he is fit to stand trial. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Daniel Oyondi said the doctor, Moses Mwenda, had failed in his duties.
  • He is said to have killed his wife following a dispute over money.

  • His lawyer said the doctor also failed to find if there was a history of mental illnesses in Mr Oyondi’s family.
  • The hearing of the case was scheduled to continue on March 7 and 8, 2018 when a pathologist and a government analyst will testify.

A 33-year-old farmhand who hacked his wife to death using a panga outside Mweiga Police Station has disputed a psychiatric report that indicates that he is fit to stand trial for murder.

Daniel Oyondi, while appearing before Justice Teresia Matheka of the Nyeri High Court, said the doctor, Moses Mwenda, had failed in his duties.

Mr Oyondi, through lawyer Gathiga Mwangi, questioned why the doctor failed to examine his next of kin’s psychiatric conditions before filing the final report and recommending trial.

FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY

The lawyer, while poking holes into the report, said the doctor also failed to find if there was a history of mental illnesses in Mr Oyondi’s family.

He further questioned why the doctor only checked about Mr Oyondi’s history of mental illnesses at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital and never bothered to check in other hospitals.

The doctor, in his evidence, told the court that the suspect had no records at the county hospital of suffering from a psychiatric condition.

Doctor Mwenda said he conducted the mental examination on the suspect on May 4, 2017 following a request by Kieni West DCIO.

He said his findings were that the suspect was fit for murder trial after checking on his memory, speech, and intelligence, among other mental aspects.

Mr Oyondi is charged with the murder of his 35-year-old wife, Regina Kinya, on April 29, 2017, which he has since denied.

RELEASED ON BOND

The court Tuesday released him on a Sh500,000 bond following a report by the probation department which indicated he was not a flight risk and that he had a fixed place of abode.

The report indicated that his family in Butere, Mumias is ready and willing to bail him out and accommodate him.

The hearing of the case was scheduled to continue on March 7 and 8, 2018 when a pathologist and a government analyst will testify.

Mr Oyondi was arrested after he surrendered at Mweiga Police Station while his wife died at Mary Immaculate Mission Hospital where she was rushed by members of the public for treatment.

He is said to have killed his wife following a dispute over money.