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Domestic violence dominate court cases in 2021


The escalation of domestic violence cases was witnessed in courts in 2021 with men accused of assaulting, insulting, and even threatening to kill their parents.

These include John Kinuthia, 55, who was charged with beating up his mum, Naomi Kamuyu, 88, as he demanded to be shown his dad.

He was also charged with malicious damage after destroying his mother’s handbag and phone worth Sh15000. The incident reportedly happened at their home in Nairobi on January 21.

Kinuthia was accused of punching his mother on the ribs, injuring her, and throwing her crutches away.

She screamed for help and was rescued by members of the public. He is also accused of creating a disturbance. He denied all the charges at the Kibera Law courts and was freed on a Sh100,000 bond or Sh30,000 cash bail.

In another case, a man who insulted her mother and slammed her door was ordered to pay a fine of Sh10,000 or serve three months jail term.

David Maloba Oduor pleaded guilty to charges of creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.

He caused the said chaos at Gaudensia Oduor’s home in Langata estate between June 18 and 21

He was handed the penalties by senior resident magistrate Charles Mwaniki of Kibera law courts.

The court heard Oduor banged his mother’s door and threatened to beat her forcing her to take cover in the bedroom.

He repeated the same thing the following day and went into the kitchen to cook after his mother locked herself in her bedroom. She reported him to the police.

On June 20, he brought his drinking buddies to his mother’s house and they started making noise but she kept quiet in fear.

In a another case, two brothers were charged at Kibera law courts with threatening to kill their mother.

Peter Mute Thiong’o and John Gitau Thiong’o are accused of threatening to kill Alice Njeri on July 6 at her home in Kabete, Nairobi.

This is in an attempt to evict her from her matrimonial home.

The Thiong’os are also accused of wilfully and unlawfully threatening to kill their mother and two sisters for their continued stay on their (the suspects’) father’s property.

They were also accused of making threats over a period of time and harassing their mother.

Njeri told police her sons aged 28 and 26 have made her life hell by hurling unprintable insults at her while threatening to kill her and her two daughters.

She told cops that her sons were coming home late and drunk to violently demand food from her while hurling expletives at her.

They reportedly ordered her to vacate their late father’s property and have allegedly sold her household items including furniture.

The suspects denied charges before principal magistrate Sharon Maroro and were released on a surety bond of Sh500,000 and alternative cash bail of similar amount.

In yet another case, a man reported to have locked his mother inside her house before setting it ablaze has been charged with arson at the Kibera Law Courts.

Joseph Njuguna, 27, is said to have reacted in anger upon realizing her mother had delayed in preparing dinner.

He is accused of wilfully and unlawfully setting the house worth Sh1.3 million on fire in Dagorretti, in Nairobi, on November 6.

Njuguna is said to have returned home drunk and found his mother cooking. He reportedly demanded food immediately but his mother told him to go to his room and wait for food and he went away grumbling that he would do something.

He is said to have returned to his mother and caused a confrontation with her before leaving.

Moments later, she realised the house was on fire and the gate had been closed.

She screamed for help prompting neighbours to rescue her.

Nothing was salvaged in the house as the fire had spread to all rooms and gutted down the house and all household items estimated to cost Sh1.3 million.

Members of the public launched a manhunt for the suspect who they found hiding at an entertainment joint, beat him up thoroughly before his mother rescued him, and took him to hospital from where he was arrested by police.

He denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Esther Bhoke.

The suspect was released on a Sh500,000 bond.

Also, a man who chased after his mother while armed with a panga, threatening to cut her was arraigned at Kibera law courts.

James Waweru was charged with creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace on November 26 at Kawangware in Nairobi after threatening to kill his mother.

Waweru had asked for Sh10 to buy vegetables and upon return, he is said to have violently confronted his mother allegedly hurling insults at her.

In the middle of the alleged altercation, Waweru allegedly took a panga and charged at his mother threatening to cut her.

She dashed into her house screaming for help prompting neighbours to intervene.

Waweru fled the scene but returned the next day when he was accosted by members of the public who assaulted him before handing him over to police where his mother had reported him.

He denied charges before senior resident magistrate Charles Mwaniki of Kibera law courts.

He was freed on a Sh10,000 cash bail.