Eldoret;Man Convicted of Murder Pleads for Mercy

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Shaban Maru, the accused, confessed to the charge of killing his wife, Phyilis Jebet, before Justice Reuben Nyakundi after accusing her of infidelity.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Eldoret High Court

A man who was accused of killing his wife of three children three years ago Monday pleaded with the court to have mercy on him for the sake of his children.

Shaban Maru, the accused, confessed to the charge of killing his wife, Phyilis Jebet, before Justice Reuben Nyakundi after accusing her of infidelity.

Maru, who had previously pleaded guilty to the crime, recounted the incident that occurred on March 23, 2020, in Moi’s Bridge area, Uasin Gishu County. He urged the judge to consider the circumstances that led him to act in such a manner, emphasizing that he had lost control upon discovering his wife’s infidelity with his former boyfriend.

“My late wife had been engaged in a love affair with his former boyfriend, and she even admitted to me that she was indeed in a love affair outside our marriage when I reprimanded her over the matter,” he explained to the judge.

Maru further revealed his anger upon stumbling upon a video on his late wife’s phone, showing her engaged in a sexual act with the former boyfriend. Overwhelmed by rage, he resorted to using a wooden stick, fatally hitting his wife on the head in their bedroom at 2 pm, while their children watched in panic.

“When I confronted my late wife over the video phone, she confessed to me that it was her former boyfriend she was making love with, and this made me mad, forcing me to beat her with a wooden stick on the head, and she died a few minutes later while being rushed to the hospital,” Maru confessed.

As the sole breadwinner for his half-orphaned children, Maru expressed concern for their well-being, noting that his eldest daughter had just completed her KCPE exam, and the second and third-born were set to join grade eight and three next year, respectively.

“Your lordship, I am also taking care of my sister-in-law‘s secondary education, and should I be sent to jail, she will be forced to terminate her studies due to a lack of fees,” he added.

Despite being out on bond, Maru pleaded for freedom, asserting that he had since reconciled with his children over the unfortunate incident.

State Counsel Mark Mugun highlighted that Maru was a first offender and urged the judge to consider the circumstances of the case.

In his ruling, Justice Nyakundi ordered a victim impact report from the children’s officer to be presented, setting the mention of the case on December 15 for further direction.

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