Man sentenced to 40 years after killing neighbour in land tussle

A 37-year-old farmer who killed his elderly neighbour following a land tussle was on Thursday jailed for 40 years by the High Court in Nanyuki.

Paul Ndung’u Wahome was convicted in the murder of Davidson Maina Gichohi, 79, on January 21, 2016 at Wangwachi Village, Sipili location in Laikipia County.

The court heard that Wahome stabbed the deceased severally with a sharp metal rod on the eve of the day the two were to meet the Laikipia Deputy County Commissioner to address a dispute arising from sale of the land.

The deceased had surrendered his title deed to Wahome after selling him a one-acre piece of land.

However, when the land buyer went to the land registration office in Nanyuki Town, he made alteration to the title deed to indicate that the two jointly owned the five-acre piece of land.

Delivering the sentence, Justice Mary Kasango noted that Wahome planned and executed the murder in his effort to defraud Mzee Gichohi, a widower, of his piece of land.

Evidence adduced in court indicated that the accused went to the deceased’s house at night and stabbed him several times with the metal rod until he died.

Mzee Gichohi’s body was discovered by her daughter-in-law the following morning as she brought him breakfast.

Justice Kasango further noted that, even though nobody saw Wahome kill the elderly man, the fact that the murder weapon found beside the body was linked to him and other circumstantial evidence was enough proof that he committed the heinous act.

“This court is convinced beyond doubt that you committed a wicked act on someone who had not wronged you in any way. You deserve a custodial sentence so that you can learn from your mistakes,” the judge pronounced as she dismissed pleas by Wahome, a father of four, for a non-custodial sentence.