Four Convicted in Brutal Murder of Form Four Student Sentenced to 25 Years Each
“The CCTV footage shows the four beating up the slain student using stones and other blunt objects, resulting in his grisly death,”
Some of the four accused persons, among them a mother,jailed for 25 years in prison each over the murder of a former form four student Ahmad Mohammed Ismael three years ago in Uasin Gishu County.
Four individuals, including a mother of three, a matatu driver, and a boda boda rider, have been sentenced to 25 years in prison each for the murder of Ahmad Mohammed Ismael, a Form Four student, in a case that has gripped the region for over two years. The verdict, delivered on April 2, 2025, by Eldoret High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi, brings closure to a tragic incident that unfolded three years ago in West Indies estate, Eldoret town.
The convicted—Julieta Ayieta, Benjamin Njenga, Paul Osinde, and Gregory Mukhori—were found guilty of killing the 19-year-old student in a violent mob attack on June 2, 2023. Judge Nyakundi, in his ruling, stated that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the four acted with intent and brutality. “The CCTV footage shows the four beating up the slain student using stones and other blunt objects, resulting in his grisly death,” the judge declared, emphasizing the overwhelming evidence presented during the trial.
The court session, which lasted less than five minutes, saw the convicts staring in disbelief as their fate was sealed. Their bonds, granted earlier in the case, had been revoked three weeks prior following the guilty verdict. The prosecution’s case rested on a combination of compelling evidence, including CCTV recordings, witness testimonies, and forensic analysis, all of which linked the accused directly to the crime.
The incident stemmed from an accusation of theft. The court heard that Ismael was suspected of stealing a mobile phone belonging to a college student in Eldoret town. What followed was a vicious act of mob justice, with the convicts allegedly leading a group armed with crude weapons and stones. The mob pursued the teenager, catching up with him at the gate of a hostel where the theft victim resided. There, they assaulted him, inflicting severe head injuries that proved fatal.
“The attack was relentless and cold-blooded,” said a courtroom observer who attended the trial. “The evidence was clear—these four played a central role in the student’s death.”
For the family of Ahmad Mohammed Ismael, the sentencing marks the end of a long and painful quest for justice. Having attended numerous court sessions over the past two years, they expressed relief and gratitude following the verdict. “We have waited for this day,” a family member, who requested anonymity, told reporters outside the courthouse. “Ahmad was taken from us in the most brutal way, and we are thankful that justice has finally been served.”
The case has reignited discussions about mob justice in Kenya, with legal experts and community leaders calling for greater public awareness and stricter enforcement to prevent such tragedies. As the four begin their 25-year sentences, the memory of the young student’s untimely death remains a somber reminder of the consequences of unchecked vigilantism.
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