Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Dagoretti sisters deny killing their father for beating their mother


Emotions ran high in a Nairobi court Monday when three sisters sought to clear their names from accusations of killing their father.

The case became dramatic as it emerged that one of their brothers is also charged with killing his wife, while their mother died while on trial for murder.

Ms Alice Makunyi, Ms Christine Ngendo and Ms Agnes Nyambura are charged with killing Francis Waweru Mutua on January 6, 2013 at Dagoretti Corner, Nairobi.

They said they were away on the night the old man was killed.

Ms Ngendo and Ms Nyambura took to the witness stand on Monday after the prosecution closed its case.

WRANGLES

They admitted that there were wrangles in their family.

“There were acrimonious times. He used to fight my mother a lot. One day, he broke her arm and leg. But we still loved our father and never wished him dead,” said Ms Nyambura.

The three had initially been charged together with their mother — Lucy Njeri Waweru — but she died three months after the trial began in 2013.

According to the prosecutor, Mutua lived with his wife and daughters in their seven-bedroom house in Kawangware but ordered them to vacate due to constant quarrels.

“He had even confided in one of his sons that he would move out if the others refused to leave. However, he was murdered before he could do so,” said the prosecution.

MURDER WEAPON

Detectives pointed fingers at the sisters, saying there was no evidence of a break-in. They also said they found a metal bar in one of the women’s bedroom, which pathologists confirmed was used to kill Mutua.

The conclusion was that the three planned and killed their father, especially after he refused to take their mother to hospital when she developed a terminal illness.

Ms Nyambura, however, said she was away drinking with her younger brother when her father met his death.

The prosecution said she lived with her son in the house but ordered him to sleep elsewhere on the fateful night to enable them to carry out their plan.

According to the women, their brother, whom they said was the source of the disputes, was also facing trial for killing his wife soon after their father was murdered.

The hearing was adjourned to March 13.