A 31-year-old Kisumu man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of his aunt, the woman who had taken him in and raised him as her own after he was orphaned, following a domestic disagreement that turned deadly.

Justice Joe Omido of the Kisumu High Court found Kevin Omondi Nyapietho guilty of murdering Gaudencia Otieno Aoko on February 21, 2023, at Kapuonja Sub-location in Kisumu West Sub-County.

The court heard that on the night of the killing, Nyapietho had accused the deceased and his two children during supper of plotting to poison him. He then left the house, locking them inside from the outside.

He later returned, broke down the door, which had also been locked from inside by his secondary school-going cousin, and attacked Gaudencia with a jembe, striking her on the shoulder and head with its sharp side.

A pathologist who testified told the court that a post-mortem examination established the cause of death as severe head injury resulting from multiple lacerative wounds to the head.

Justice Omido found that Nyapietho was the person who unlawfully assaulted the deceased and inflicted the injuries that caused her death, and that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt all the essential elements of murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.

The prosecution was led by Counsel Mercy Mutheu Muema, who called six witnesses in total. Nyapietho has been informed of his right to appeal the conviction and sentence within 14 days.